Morbid Curiosity
by MoxieMayhem
Summary: When Callie was rescued by Merle Dixon, she didn't expect the spark, the concern. She also didn't expect finding a whole group of survivors. Merle/OC.
1. Owe

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of the characters.

A/n: Okay, so, this is the first fanfic I've attempted in years. I'm not very happy with it at this point but I'm hoping it will get better. Also, I know that Merle isn't his usual charming self but I'm running off the idea that his being exposed to solitary survival with no drugs or alcohol would drastically change a person.

CHAPTER ONE: OWE

Snarling, snapping, their fingers grabbed at my back and their putrid breath ran over the back of my neck, countering every twist and lunge I made to get away. I willed myself to run quicker, faster. I couldn't let the walkers get me. Trees whipped by me as I ran further into the forest; there was light up ahead, a clearing maybe. Picking up the pace, I barrelled forward, trying to reach the clearing before the walkers reached me.

All of a sudden, the earth fell away and I tumbled down dirt and sticks, smashing into rough concrete and rolling into the road. My wrist flared angrily where I landed, my ribs screamed, and blood trickled, warm and sticky, down the side of my face. Disorientated, I heard a car horn blare and the thud crunch of a walker being flattened. Everything hurt, the pain and the drive to get away from the walkers consuming me. I scrambled to my knees and started crawling away; my jeans shredded against the pavement taking some skin with it but I didn't care. I had to get away from the walkers.

"Hold on there," A rasping male voice practically snarled form behind me. One heavy hand landed on the back of my dirty shirt, pulling at me to stop. I kicked and thrashed, the fact that walkers couldn't talk never registering in my panic. "Git your ass up and in the truck!" With a powerful yank, the voice hauled me to my feet. He didn't give me time to balance and dragged me to a moving truck with the passenger side door gaping open. The hand shoved me through the door, pushing me roughly out of the way as he joined me in the small cab. I crawled out of the way and when I looked up to see where I was going, I screamed. I could see the walkers coming at the truck through the other window.

"They're coming!" I shrieked, wriggling about, trying to get away from the walker while trying to stay in the van. The door slammed behind me and a body pressed against me, hard with fear, before moving over me, clambering into the driver's seat. I flung myself back into the other seat, fumbling with my seat belt just as a walker slammed into the driver's side window. I screamed shrilly and the man cursed sharply, turning the key in the ignition. The engine turned over once, twice before it started up. Jerking the vehicle into gear, he slammed his foot down and the tires screeched as we rocketed away from the walkers. I leaned back against the seat, gasping, a hand pressed against my chest where I could feel my racing heart. "Thank you,"

"Yeah," The man grunted. I looked over at him, finally seeing him after that quick encounter. He was older, with sharp cheek bones and solemn eyes; he wore dark clothing, the exact color unknown in the night, and had only one hand. The other arm, where a hand should be, was a bandaged stump. I stared at the amputated limb for a moment before changing my focus to the road in front of us. It felt odd to look at what used to be a limb; a sick combination of unease and morbid curiosity washed over me and I pushed it down. Even if I didn't know the man I wanted to know the story behind the hand. It was recent too, the end of the bandage having been soaked with human blood. The man must have been in pain but he didn't show it, he seemed more concerned about where he was going. Maybe once we were both calm again, I could look at it for him. At least that would be some sort of payment for what he did. Obviously it wouldn't be enough, I owed him my life, but it would be a start. Silence fell over the cab, heavy and stifling and I didn't know how to break it without it being awkward.

"Name's Merle," He said gruffly while I pondered how to strike up conversation. Apparently, Merle felt the same way about the quiet.

"Callie,"

"How'd ya get so many of dem assholes on ya?" He shot me a quick look, turning the truck around a bend.

"They found my camp where I was drying meat," I answered with a sigh. "All my supplies were back there,"

"Well, you can't go back. Suppose you can ride with me for a bit until you figure your shit out," Merle muttered, obviously not a big talker. Maybe he was a decent guy, it would be a nice change of pace considering what was going on. "Of course, you will have to...pay me back," A lecherous grin spread over his face and the look he gave me made me feel grimy.

"I'd rather be eaten by walkers," I snapped in return, crossing me arms.

"Hey now, I'm just trying to be nice,"

"Nice or not, it's disgusting. _Hand_ to yourself," I emphasized the word in its singular form. Merle snapped his mouth shut, his eyes hardening. That must have hit a nerve and rightly so. I turned my body to face the door, watching the scenery flash by. At least I didn't have to look at him. It continued that way, in a stubborn quiet, for a good while and it was only ended when Merle pulled over into an RV camping area. He parked the truck and switched off the engine; we sat there, me awkwardly avoiding looking at him and him staring angrily at the steering wheel.

"I ain't gonna say I was sorry cause I ain't. I deserve something for saving your life," Merle suddenly snapped, jabbing the wheel with his finger to make his point. He was rationalizing his behavior, that was a good thing for me. It meant he realized that had been wrong but doesn't want to admit it. Maybe he was just as alone as I was and didn't want to drive me off.

"I never said that you didn't, but you aren't getting that from me," I answered stiffly. "I'll make it up to you some other way," I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he was still focused on the steering wheel. Merle seemed to consider what I said before shrugging it off.

"Fine. I'm too fucking tired to give a shit," Merle reached over to the floor mat in front of me, I leaned away instinctively, but he wasn't grabbing at me. Instead, he grabbed a pile of cloth. "Here," He shook one free onto my lap. "Pin that up over the windows. It'll keep any walkers from looking inside and getting excited," I took the fabric and watched him do his window before mimicking him with the passenger side window. We finished at nearly the same time so I helped him to cover the windshield. It wasn't a comfortable or companionable atmosphere, we were both busy watching each other, gauging the mood and how to react. "I sleep in the back here," Merle crawled through the cut out into the back of the truck which was black as pitch. I didn't follow, I listened to him fumble around for a bit before a lantern was lit. The back area lit up and I could see that he had built a make shift home from cot to hot plate to supplies. Merle sat the lantern down by the head of the bed and flopped onto the low cot, toeing off his boots as he went.

I followed him after a moment and sat down by the hot plate, crossing my legs Indian style and looking around. There wasn't much room in the van, but it provided a safe place to sleep. "You you have a first aid kit?"

"Yeah. Why?" Merle was already laying down, throwing an arm over his eyes to block out light.

"I have a cut to clean and your...you're bleeding," I couldn't say stump. That was just weird. Merle looked at his arm and saw the blood. He muttured angrily as he sat back up and stood swiftly. Merle stomped over to where I was sitting, underneath the hot plate was a medical kit. He tossed it to me flippantly and walked back over to the cot.

Sitting back down, Merle said, "Clean yourself up. Spare clothes are behind ya," I nodded and went about carefully cleaning the wound which was just below my hairline. It wasn't very large but like every head wound, it had bled profusely. When it came time to change, I asked Merle if he would turn around and his did with much protesting. To be on the safe side, I turned around as well. I took off my sweater, sticky with blood, and used the clean parts to wipe myself down before pulling on one Merle's jumpers. Thankfully, the jumper was long enough that when I took off my pants, it covered me up quite well. The pants were too big but I used my belt to sinch them in so they worked well enough. Cleaned up and content I took the first aid kit over to Merle. He took it without a word and I asked if he wanted help.

"Do I look like I need help?" He snapped in reply. I rolled my eyes and walked back over to where I had been sitting and resumed my earlier position. I decided that I might as well try to get some sleep. Curling into a ball in the space I had, I tucked myself into the jumper and tried to get comfortable. I could hear when Merle finished cleaning up, he sat the first aid kit on the ground and kicked it out of the way. The cot creaked when he settled onto it again and I thought that he was getting ready to turn out the light.

"What in the blue hell are you doing? Git over here, we'll both fit," Merle said from across the box. He patted the cot next to him where he was still sitting. I glared.

"Considering you just propositioned me, I'm going to stay over here," I sniffed. Merle gave an exaggerated sigh.

"I ain't gonna try anything. It gets cold in here and two bodies are better than one where that's concerned," He patted the cot again with a leer. I eyed him and the cot wearily. It was a cot, not the ground and definitely not three square feet between supplies.

"You promise you won't try anything sleazy?" Merle raised his hand and placed his stump (freshly bandaged) on his heart, like he was swearing. Well, a visual perversion of swearing at least

"I swear on the grave of my old man, may he rot in hell," Not feeling very comforted but chilled enough not the care, I crawled over to the cot. Merle smirked, satisfied with himself (the lech) and laid down on the cot, towards the wall of the box. I sat on the cot stiffly and bent over to untie my heavy duty hiking boots. I slid them off one by one and tucked them under the cot before lying down and tucking myself under the sheet and blanket that Merle had already mussed with his movement. I turned away from him, curling on my side, trying not to touch him at all. The cot was narrow though, so my back brushed his just enough to leech warmth and to solidify his presence. Apparently he was waiting until I was settled before he turned off the light, plunging us both into darkness. In the sudden void, all my other senses were heightened. I could hear Merle breath, smell sweat, dirt, and blood from earlier still clinging to me, feel the rough rasp of cheap linen on my skin. All my senses were on high alert and it took me a long time to fall into an uneasy sleep.

A loud thumping woke me up sometime later. I stirred and frowned but paid the sound no mind, my sleep-hazed brain too slow to process the sound clearly. It was scratching, thumping, and it wasn't until the sounds were joined by a low, animalistic growling that I realized it was a walker. Walkers. They found us! Gasping, I sat up in the cot, jostling Merle. He grunted and flopped over, murmuring "What is it?" grumpily.

"Walkers!" I whispered fiercely. I needed to find a weapon but my body wouldn't move. It was frozen with fear of an ambush, why couldn't I move? Why wasn't he moving, he was more than capable of handling walkers? Merle sat up behind me, the cot forcing him close to me. His heat seeped into me and like a moth to a flame, I drifted towards him. It was false comfort and safety, but it was better than dying as a deer caught in the headlights. He shifted as well, scooting closer to me so that he could pat my cheek clumsily in the darkness. I flinched and jerked away from the touch. Not what I was expecting.

"S'okay. They can't get in," He grunted before flopping back down. "Go back ta sleep, they'll wander away eventually. They always do," Merle rustled in the darkness, getting comfortable again, finally stilling even though the sounds outside were getting louder. More and more walkers were showing up. What if they didn't wander away? What if they were still there in the morning? I shook myself, that was stupid. We were in a van for God's sake, Merle could just drive us away from them. Despite my revelation I was uneasy and shaken. I laid back down, this time facing towards Merle. I didn't move any closer, but I could see a faint outline of his form even in the dark and it gave me some peace of mind. Rude, chauvinistic human being or not, he did save my life. I wrapped the blanket as tight around me as I could and listened to the scraping downs and the pained moans. They were out there, waiting but we were in here, safe.

It was hours before I fell asleep again


	2. Pay, Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

A/N: Thanks to my three reviewers: ViciousHypnosis, what., and synethesiac. I really appreciated all of your kind words :)

CHAPTER TWO: PAY, PART ONE

Merle had been right, the walkers did leave eventually and when I woke up in the morning, snuggled into Merle's back, the walkers were gone and it was quiet. Warm and content I didn't want to move, despite the fact that I was literally cuddling with some stranger's back. It was the first time in a long time that I was someplace safe enough where I could lay about for a bit and just relax. I turned onto my back and stared at the dark ceiling of the truck. All the light was blocked out completely, I couldn't tell what time it was. It was probably around seven in the morning, that was when I woke up. Still not wanting to move, but having to, I sat up in the cot and swung my legs off the side. I searched around with my feet for my boots, wanting to put them on before I did anything else. I pulled them on, tied them, and stood up. I felt my way to the cab then to the passenger door. I carefully pulled down the blanket that I had hung there earlier. I blinked when bright sunlight flooded the small space. Merle groaned from the back but I ignored him. Instead, I looked outside, trying to spot any walkers. Not seeing any, I fumbled around for a bludgeon of sorts (just in case) and I found a tire iron. Grasping it firmly I unlocked and opened the door, stepping outas quietly as I could. Pushing the door shut, I ventured into the foliage to do my business as fast as possible.

When I got back to the truck, Merle was untacking the other window coverings. He looked a bit surprised when I climbed back into the truck and helped him to fold the covers without a word. "Thought you had split," Merle admitted after a bit. I shrugged halfheartedly.

"I still owe you," I answered. I took the blankets and tucked them back under my seat where Merle had grabbed them last night. Merle seemed to accept this answer and excused himself.

"Nature calls," He said with a wink before disappearing in the same direction I had earlier. As he moved away, he turned and called over his shoulder, "Git some breakfast on, would ya?" Merle disappeared into the woods before I could answer. That seemed fair, really. I didn't complain as I moved into the back of the van and started looking through bags of supplies. I found a box of powdered eggs and some spam. Breakfast of champions. I used just enough water from Merle's stores to rehydrate the eggs and stirred them up with a fork while the skillet warmed up on the hot plate. The eggs were cooking and I was cutting up the spam when I heard Merle walk back over to the van and get in. "Smells good," He commented as he stomped about. Merle moved about, cleaning up, and plopped down beside me as the spam was thrown in with the eggs. He sat his hand down on my knee, which I moved, but he just leaned in, openly sniffing my hair. I reeled back and Merle raised his hand defensively. "Hey now-"

"Don't 'hey now' me!" I snapped, shoving away. Merle reached for me and I slapped his hands away, stepping back as fast as I could. "You don't touch me, ever,"

"It was just harmless fun," Merle said innocently. I scoffed and he shrugged. "Really now, you're over-reacting,"

"I am not over-reacting you pig," I spat. Merle laughed and turned off the hot plate.

"Yes, you are. I'm just an affectionate person," Merle stirred the eggs and held the skillet out to me. "Ya want some?" I gaped at him, offended and exasperated at his behavior. The nerve of him!

"Of course I want some, I made it," I answered after a pause, not moving from where I stood with my arms crossed. It would do no good arguing with him, Merle was my ride. It didn't mean that I would just let him be an asshole to me, but I couldn't just walk away either. Survival came first, then being comfortable. "I'll get the silverware," I went to the cab, trying to get some space so I could calm down. I plopped down in my seat (so claimed because it was the only one I sat in) and retrieved the spoons from the night before. I wiped them off the best I could and took a deep breath. I just need to stay calm, stick with Merle until I found another vehicle and more supplies. There had to be a town nearby so I wouldn't be stuck with him for too long. I just had to keep remininding myself of that. I took another breath, held it, released it, and went back into rear of the van. I passed a spoon off to Merle and we ate right out of the skillet. Every so often, Merle would make some comment that I would ignore and soon enough we were on the road again. I was put in charge of navigation so I spent my time reading a map rather than looking at or talking to Merle. Everyone so often, I would tell him to take a certain turn or an exit until we had found a small town just outside of a main city. I noticed on the map that the CDC was nearby and thought that maybe we could go there next. It was getting too late to do that tonight though, and the van was running out of gas. We were going to have to cyphon some from a gas pump which, thankfully, I knew how to do thanks to my dad. Even though he had been absolutely insane, my father knew his stuff about surviving.

Jaime Fuentes had come from Mexico as a young man, having suffered through poverty and a local drug cartel suffocating the community. He moved to the United States when he was 22, legally. He met my mother two years later and they adopted me from a local hospital not long after. That's why, even though I was pale and light eyed, my last name was Fuentes and I had learned the same scrappiness that my father had known for the first half of his life. I smiled to myself as memories of my childhood and his broken english came back to me.

"What you smiling for?" Merle asked, breaking my pleasant trip down memory lane.

"Doesn't matter," I answered morosely. Merle scoffed and pulled into the small town. There were only a few walkers about, still too many to be comfortable around but not too many as to overwhelm us.

"Sure it matters. Got such a nice smile on ya, I want to know how to put it there," Merle gave me a quick wink. "Grab that tire iron and get ready to fight. We're heading in there," He motioned to a pharmacy that had an apartment over it. "They'll have supplies and we can stay there for the night," Merle undid his seatbelt and reached behind his seat, grabbing an axe. "Ready?" I nodded, holding onto the tire iron for dear life. I wasn't ready. Walkers were coming from all over. Merle didn't give me time to be scared though, he shouldered his door open and burst out. I followed, right on his heels as he cleared a brutal path to the pharmacy. I kept my eyes on him while keeping a watch on the walkers that were gathering. I smashed one in the face with the tire iron as it reached for us and it fell to the ground. Merle reached the door first and slammed against the old fashioned wood door twice before it opened. He stumbled inside and I followed, I shoved the door shut and Merle moved into the house, ready to deal with any walkers. I leaned against the door, trying to keep the walkers outside at bay. Merle stomped around for a while. I grew worried when he didn't return right away but that worry disappeared when he rushed back in carrying what seemed to used to be a dresser, a hammer, and a pocketful of nails. I held the door shut and he nailed it close with the boards and nails.

The second the door was secured, I moved away from it and the groans coming from behind it. All the blinds were drawn so I knew that the walkers would eventually leave us alone. "Are there any more in here?" I asked as I tore through the house, trying to find the back door.

"Were upstairs. Got rid of them," Merle followed me, knowing what I was doing. The backdoor was made of the same wood as the front and was locked by three deadbolts. "Safe side," Merle muttured and went to hammer a board over that door too. I nodded. Better safe than sorry.

"We can throw the bodies of the walkers out of the window," I said, thinking outloud as I walked up the stairs. Merle didn't follow right away, he began looting. There were only two dead walkers upstairs, an elderly couple, who were lying face down in a bedroom. I opened the window, trying to lessen the stench and was able to get the old woman out of the window on my own. The old, who was larger, posed a bit of a problem. Just as I was about to call to Merle to help me out, he appeared and took the man's arm without a word. Together we hoisted him out of the window.

"Water's running here, you can take a shower," Merle wiped his hand on his pants while he spoke. "There's a guest bedroom, I'll stay there tonight," Merle said and turned to the closet. He begun to root through it, trying to find clothes I assumed. I watched him for a moment then I walked into the bathroom which was clean and orderly. Apparently, the walkers did feel the need to use this room for anything. I bypassed searching the space and instead twisted the knobs on the shower. The pipes sputtered for a bit then released a steady stream. I stuck my hand in the water and almost sobbed with joy when it was hot. I stripped off Merle's clothes as quick as I should and stepped into the shower. The water was steaming hot, nearly scalding, but I didn't care. I rubbed off the grime of the past few weeks and washed my hair three times before I was satisfied that it was clean. I even liberated a razor and shaved my legs and armpits. I shut off the water and grabbed a towel. I dried off, combed and braided my hair, and wiped the steam from the mirror and saw myself for the first time since this whole thing started. My cheek bones jutted from my face, my skin paler than normal. I wiped my face tiredly. There were dark bags beneath my eyes and my lips were chapped, I wasn't a vision of beauty. I wrapped the towel around my body and gathered up the dirty clothes, heading back to the master bedroom. Merle was still in there, trying to roll up the sleeves of a light blue button up he had found. His stumped protruded slightly and was slowly being revealed as he rolled up the sleeve. I dumped the clothes by the door and walked over to him.

"Let me help," I readjusted my towel and took his arm. Merle scowled at me but didn't say anything. I rolled up both sleeves to his elbows, smoothing them down so they looked neat.

"Thanks," Merle fiddled with the sleeve again as soon as I stepped back. I rolled my eyes but couldn't repress a fond smile. Something about Merle, when he wasn't busy being an asshole, was endearing. Like now, the nervous fiddling showed the human side that I'm sure Merle would have preferred to keep hidden. I went to the closet and thumbed through the dresses. The old woman had been about my size, all of her dresses would fit. I picked out one I liked and laid it over the back of a chair and went to pick out underwear from her dresser. It was kind of weird, picking out somebody else's underwear to wear, but I had the choice of clean panties and I was going to take it. Merle had left the room and even had the courtesy to shut the door so I could get dressed. I passed the towel over my body once more, then I pulled the clothes on. The towel joined my dirty clothes by the door and I stripped the bed which was covered in what I liked to call Walker slime. I frowned at the bed, the slime had seeped through into the mattress.

No big comfy bed for me then.


	3. Pay, Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

A/N: Thanks to PlaneJane21, what.., blondie911, and wtldr for reviewing! Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy :)

CHAPTER THREE: PAY, PART TWO

I abandoned the slimey bed and went to look for Merle. He was in the kitchen, looking through the the cupboards. "Anything good?" I asked. Merle grunted. The walkers had given up and the house was silent except for the sounds we made as we surveyed the food items. Merle, of course, zeroed in on the alcohol that the old couple had stashed away while I looked in the fridge. Everything was spoiled in there it seemed, but there was some decent meat in the freezer. I pulled out a package of still frozen pork and laid it on the counter. It didn't look frost bitten, but I wouldn't know until it thawed. Until then, my hands were tied. I turned to see if there was anything salvagable in the icebox and ran into Merle instead. He was standing too close to me, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. I didn't smell liquor, which was a good sign. "Yes?"

"I think the glasses are behind ya," Merle sat the whiskey down on the counter beside the meat, bring our bodies closer together. I stiffened and leaned back when he moved in to open the cupboard. I didn't have to duck, but it didn't stop me from nearly climbing on the counter to get away from him. "Calm your tits woman, I just want some whiskey," Merle reached around me again with his good hand and stepped back with two water glasses. "Want some?"

"No thank you, I don't drink," Merle laughed harshly at my answer.

"Now's a good time to start Sugar," The glasses were set down clumsily on the table and the whiskey was opened defly. Merle poured two fingers in each glass. "Just have one then," He said and handed me one of the glasses. I took it and eyed it uneasily. I didn't normally drink. Once, in college, I had gotten hammered and I hadn't touched liquor since. Merle raised his glass in a toast and swallowed the liquid down in one gulp. I toasted back and took a sip. I grimaced. It was strong and burnt on the way down but swelled in a pleasant way when it settled. Merle poured himself another drink and drained it without pretense. I sat my glass down on the counter, still mostly full and crossed my arms. Merle saw my disapproving look and shrugged it off. "I found some old records in the other room, feel like dancing?"

"Won't the walkers hear?" I asked, quirking my eyebrow. Merle looked at me as if I were mentally challenged.

"Upstairs," He answered slowly, condescendingly. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Let me guess, you don't dance either,"

"As a matter of fact, I don't," Merle laughed again at my answer and grabbed the whiskey bottle. He poured more of the amber liquid into his glass but didn't drink it right away.

"C'mon doll-"

"-My name's Callie-"

"-Just one dance, then we can eat and go to bed," Merle said sweetly. I frowned and looked around me. I hadn't told him yet that I was planning on sharing his room so I might as well make an effort to butter him up.

"Fine. One dance, and I get to chose the music," Merle shrugged, agreeing to my terms.

"Sure thing," Merle mocked bowed and gave me a ragged grin. "Records are in the living room. You grab them and the booze, I'll get the player," I disdainfully picked up the bottle of whiskey and the two glasses awkwardly and followed Merle to the living room. The records were neatly organized into a suitcase type carrier so it wasn't to hard to pick up and juggle with the whiskey. I was the up the stairs ahead of Merle and was setting everything down in the guest bedroom by the time he finally got his stuff together and to the staircase. I sat crossed legged on the bed and looked through the records. There were a lot of really good albums, the majority of them being jazz albums with the odd folk group thrown in there for good measure. I smiled at some of the choices, oldies that a lot of modern society had never heard and some that were timeless. I found an Ella Fitzgerald record, a favorite from my childhood and eased it out of its sleeve. It was in nearly pristine condition. Running my hand over the black surface lovingly, I looked up just in time to see Merle finally make it through the door. He sat the record player, an old crank powered deal, on the dresser and ran a hand over his short hair. "M'kay now, lemme get this dinosaur powered up and we'll get that dance in," I stayed on the bed, more than content to watch him battle with the old crank that probably hadn't been used in fifteen years. He'd curse not so subtly at the machine whenever it stuck and would try to crank it too fast sometimes. Eventually, though, Merle had it powered up enough and slipped the record onto the turntable.

I sat the needle onto the record gingerly and after a moment of static, Ella started playing. I played with the volume until it was low, barely audible in the background. Merle, being the gentleman that he was, chugged his drink and had the decency to belch before he held out his hand.

"May I have this dance, Callie?" He asked jokingly.

"I don't know, my dance card is full for the evening," I returned in my very best southern belle voice. Merle rolled his eyes and simply pulled me too him in a sloppy dance hold and began to rock in time to the music. I was stiff for a bit but Merle's whiskey breath against my hair and the gentle rhythms of Ella helped to relax me a little. We swayed, mostly off beat, to the songs as they came. It wasn't much of a dance, but Merle was intoxicated enough to make basic coordination an excercise. The record went to static and clicked to a stop and I tried to pull back but Merle wouldn't let me go. His arms were wrapped around me resolutely, his face buried into my neck. It took me a moment to realize that he was crying. Unsure of what to do, I awkwardly patted his back and let him cry. I didn't question why he broke down like he did, knowing first hand how hard the circumstances have been on everyone who has survived. I found myself tearing up as well but I pushed the tears down. It wasn't my time to cry.

"Those fuckers left me," Merle gasped between sobs. I perked up at the words. "They fucking left me there to die," Merle sniffed and abruptly stepped back. He wiped at his face hurriedly and brushed past me silently. He went to the bathroom and locked himself in. I stood in the middle of the room silently for a moment. I didn't know what to do, obviously the alcohol had gotten to Merle and I couldn't do anything about that. Shaking my head, I went downstairs to check on the pork I had laid out. It was thawed enough for my to slice and pan fry along with some potatoes I had found in a cupboard. The smell of real meat cooking was fabulous, a God send, and I tried to cook fast. The smell would probably attract walkers and I wanted to get back upstairs as fast as possible. I divied up the food onto two plates, grabbed some paper towels and forks, and went back upstairs. Merle was still in the bathroom so I sat his food on the dresser. I sat cross legged on the bed and ate my food slowly, even though I wanted to tear into it. I hadn't had meat in a while and it tasted so good! I forced myself to chew completely with each bite and to swallow. I would wash it down every few bites with a sip of whiskey. A good dinner in all. I finished my plate and took it downstairs to the sink, knocking on the bathroom door as I went to alert Merle to dinner, and washed up my plate and fork. I was never one to leave dishes for the next day.

Back upstairs, Merle had finally come out of the bathroom, looking royally pissed, and was eating his dinner in huge, gnashing bites. I puttered about, mostly ignoring him, trying to clean up to get ready for bed. I didn't want to deal with his whiskey fueled mood swings, I just wanted to relax and go to bed. I pulled out spare linens and rescued a pillow from the master bedroom to create a makeshift bed on the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Merle asked, his mouth full of food. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "You got your own room, sleep in there,"

"The bed's covered in walker juice, I am not sleeping on that," I fluffed my pillow and pointedly ignore the mini tantrum he started. He rambled on for a few minutes about how he didn't want to see my ugly-ass face any more and unless I was gonna give him a "happy ending" I had better fuck off. I went back into the master bedroom to find a nightgown that I could wear. I changed right in the bedroom, not even bothering shutting the door, and went back to the guest room with some clothes for Merle. "Here," I threw the clothes at Merle who didn't have the reactions to stop them from hitting his face.

"Fucking bitch," He muttered under his breath.

"I've heard it all before, Merle. Shut up, I'm going to bed," Merle started to protest, but once again I tuned him out as I settled beneath the blankets and sighed happily. A bed, even if it wasn't a real one, was a bed. "And don't forget to lock the bedroom door before you go to sleep. Better safe than sorry," I added in a singsong voice that set Merle off again. I was too exhausted to care really, and fell alseep to the sound of Merle cussing out everything in sight.


	4. Debt

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

A/N: As usual, my thanks to my reviewers: wtldr, what., JoanieNobody, synethesiac, and blondie911. Also, thanks to those who have put this story on their Story Alert list and for the Favorite Story it recieved. I'm very self-conscious when it comes to sharing my writing and you are making it worthwhile.

CHAPTER THREE: DEBT

I woke up the next morning, happily cacooned in my blankets and the pillow. Merle was passed on the bed, no doubt suffering from a hangover and I chose to use that moment to not only dump the whiskey out, but to investigate the bathroom. Something had caused Merle's sudden and violent moodswings and I wanted to find out what. The medicine cabinet seemed like a logical place to start so I opened it up and looked inside. There were plenty of medications on the shelves, ranging from muscle relaxants to heavy duty pain killers. I frowned at looked at the labels, only making a cursory pass at each one. Any of them could cause erradic behavior. Giving up on the medicine cupboard, I sighed and sat down on the toilet. My eyes fell on the wastepaper basket there, and the bottle sitting on top of the bath tissue. I picked up the bottle and read the label. Haliperidol. A common place antipsychotic. The bottle was empty but that didn't mean anything. The couple could have finished it off while they were burning up with a fever. Of course, Merle could have gotten into it. God knows how it would have effected him, especially paired with the alcohol. Tossing the bottle back into the trash bin I went back to the bedroom. Merle was still passed out and didn't budge when I rolled him over and searched his pockets. No pills. That was a good sign. If he had gotten into something last night, hopefully he wouldn't be able to again. I sat on the bed, having finished my impromptu frisk, and just looked at Merle. He looked worn, like he had been fighting something his whole life. There were dark circles around his eyes, even in sleep, and the worry lines on his forehead were more apparant than they had been last night. His hand was tanned and covered in small scars, from hard work; it twitched restlessly on the covers which he had managed to crawl under. A bad dream. I thought back to what had happened last night, him crying into his shoulder. Somebody left him, presumably with walkers nearby. My eyes turned to his bandaged stump; it was a relatively fresh wound. What if he lost his hand because he was left? I scolded myself for speculating like that. If I wanted to know, I could just ask him once he was awake. Unable to help myself, I passed my hand over his forehead tenderly, willing him to feel better and for that whatever demons plagued him to go away.

A couple of hours passed before Merle woke up. In the meantime, I went about the house, gathering supplies into bags and sorting through clothes. Any alcohol I found I dumped down the sink except for the rubbing alcohol I found under the bathroom cupboard. All the medication followed save for some antibiotics and pain killers I hid away just in case there was an accident to treat or the flu. Even though it was summer right now, autumn in Georgia brought on illness like no other and I wanted to be ready for it.

I was in the kitchen making coffee on the stove when Merle came downstairs, obviously hung over. He stomped over to the table and sat down heavily, burying his face in his arms. "Morning Merle," I toned softly from the stove. Merle grumbled something in return but I couldn't make it out. The coffee finished brewing and I poured two cups. I gave one to Merle along with a pair of Asprin that I had liberated during my drug raid. "Here you go, drink up. I'm going to see what I can scrounge up for breakfast," All I could find was a box of dry cereal and some instant oatmeal. I sat the cereal on the table for Merle to eat while I made some oatmeal. It wasn't very good since we had no milk or butter, but there was a jar of brown sugar that was still good. I scooped out two portions, sprinkled on the brown sugar, and sat down across from Merle who was munching tiredly on his cereal. It was silent as we both ate. I took small bites, watching Merle between each. The more he ate, the more lively he became, the drowsiness from earlier disappearing.

"You want to stay another day?" He managed to ask between bites. I shrugged, not really caring one way or another.

"If you'd like. I don't really care one way or the other," I wasn't looking forward to the sprint back to the van but at least we wouldn't be surrounded by walkers when we were on the move.

"We have to get gas and a ton of supplies first. I wanna stock up so we don't have to stop for anything but gas,"

"Where are we going?"

Merle didn't answer right away. I doubted that he even knew. "West, maybe. I dunno. I kinda want to find some big ass mansion with a gate and just, get in, clear out the walkers, and set up camp for good," Merle pushed his bowl away and wiped his mouth on his arm.

"That's a good idea," I said, surprised. It was a sound idea and not one I was expecting to come from Merle. It made perfect sense though; a gate would provide safety, a large house would also provide safety as well as shelter, and open grounds could equal a garden and fresh produce. If the mansion is found out in the country, it would probably have its own natural water source. "That's brilliant Merle," I added, quite taken with the idea. Looking pleased with himself, Merle poured us both some more coffee.

"Problem is, I don't know where to find a big ass mansion," That was a problem. I jokingly suggested Beverly Hills and Merle laughed but it sounded closer to a snarl. "Yeah, sure, Beverly Hills. That's clear on the other side of the country, sugar. How do you suggest we get there in one piece?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "I was joking. There are ranches out west and large estates up north, either one could work," Merle nodded, thinking about the choices. Nobody talked for a few minutes, both of us awkwardly avoiding each other's eyes. I twirled my cup in my hands, the coffee in it sloshing up the sides but not onto the table. Merle's hand stopped the movement, grabbing my wrist gently. Surprised, I looked up at him. He was still looking down at his coffee cup.

"Sorry 'bout last night," I smiled reassuringly. I patted his hand and Merle retracted from me. Not the touchy feely type, obviously.

"It's alright," I shrugged a shoulder. "You drank a little too much, that's all," Merle snorted and nodded.

"Yeah, sure," Merle stood abruptly and began to clear the table little by little, only my coffee cup remainging untouched. "We'll stay one more day, then we'll hit the road," I leaned back in my chair and watched him. He seemed restless, like he was full of energy that needed to be let out. Unfortunately, he couldn't go outside with all the walkers about.

"And until then?"

"Amuse yourself, I'm sure you can figure somethin' out," Merle turned on his heel and left the room. I had the urge to follow him, force him to talk to me, but I didn't. I was going to be stuck with him in the van and his mood swings were a bit tiring. I could just take some time for myself. The couple had left behind a well stock bookcase, I could read. I finished my coffee and left my cup in the sink before going to the living room where there was as full bookcase. I grabbed a book at random and scurried upstairs as fast as I could, I could still hear walkers outside and the sound was disconcerting. Merle was in the shower, the water running fast and hard from behind the bathroom door, so I chose to take advantage of the empty bedroom. I plopped down on the bed and wriggled about until I was comfortable. Cracking the book open, I delved into the world of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'. Somewhere in chapter three, the water shut off and Merle emerged wearing nothing but a towel. I glanced up, over the top of my book and instantly blushed. For a man his age, Merle was in really good shape and the fact that I hadn't been with a male in any capacity for nearly a year didn't help any. I ducked behind my book, effectively hiding my beet red face and my ridiculous grin. 'Good God woman!' I mentally scolded myself. 'Get your act together. You don't even like the man all that much!' No, I didn't like him really and yet I felt the need to not only care for his well being, but also his emotional stability. I blamed it all on the strange situation we found ourselves in. The lack of proper civilization was affecting me in ways I hadn't anticipated but were perfectly logical. Isolation from others and my so called biological clock ticking away was prompting me to seek out the nearest, suitable mate. Right now, that was Merle. One-handed, middle-aged, bipolar Merle who saved my life. I chewed on my lip, rereading the same sentence over and over as I considered the last thought. He saved my life. Maybe I was suffering from some sort of hero worship. He was a pig, no doubt about that, and bossy, but I didn't pay those qualities any mind. He had saved my life and I was going to save his. That was a good enough explaination for right now.

I looked over the top of my book and watched Merle thread his belt through the belt loops of a pair of charcoal grey slacks and nimbly fasten it. As if sensing my gaze, Merle turned and gave me a wink. I frowned, snapped the book shut, and started to leave.

"You don't have to leave, honey. I don't mind you looking," His voice cracked a little, as it was prone to doing, and he pulled on a black t-shirt which had to be one of his own.

"Well, I mind me looking. Give me a heads up the next time you decide to get dressed while I'm in the same room," Merle moved to intercept me before I could leave, leaning in the doorway to block my path.

"I can't figure you out, Callie," He said, looking me over nonchalantly.

"Likewise," I crossed my arms and Merle's eyes imediately darted down to my now enhanced cleavage. Not impressed, I uncrossed my arms and instead settled for clenching my fists at my sides.

"You go outa your way to help me out, then you give me the cold shoudler. What gives, sugar lumps?" Merle pouted.

"I'm still trying to figure stuff out, alright? I'm trying to figure you out, trying to figure out what exactly is going to happen me. Hell, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the damn walkers!" The more I talked, the more agitated I became, my gesticulations becomming larger and more violent as my voice rose. Merle's face was unreadable and that just made it all worse. "Give me something to work with here! Anything. A real emotion, not some menopausal mood swing shit, or an honest thought that's going through your head right now. You're a total stranger, Merle. How am I supposed to be okay with that, without questioning anything?"

Merle titled his head sideways just a bit and just looked as he thought.

"And I really don't appreciate all the cutesy little nicknames," I added, my aggitation and helplessness spent in the minor outburst.

"I saved your life 'cause I was alone too," Quite suddenly, the words cut through the space between us. I paused, shocked at the admission.

"Beg pardon?"

"You wanted a real emotion and an honest thought and there it is. I was alone. The group I had been with chained me to a roof in Atlanta and left me to die. That's how I lost my hand. Lost my hand and my brother and I've been alone ever since. Saw you on the road and thought you could be company," Merle nudged the carpeted floor with his bare foot, sheepish, but he didn't break eye contact. He was stubborn, I had to give him that. His story, now that I knew it, made everything else make sense, mostly. There had to have been a reason the group had chained him up, but that didn't matter now. The man stood open in front of me, raw and vulnerable despite his strong body language. His eyes betrayed him, showing hesitance and even fear. Fear of what? More neglect? He wouldn't get that from me.

"I had been out of town and when I got back, fevers had already broken out. My family was dead within the day," I whispered back, my voice not being able to rise about the hesitant volume. "They all came back in just a couple hours. They almost got me before I could get to my baseball bat. I bashed my father's head in," No emotions rose up inside of me as I recalled my first day of the zombie apocalypse. I had long since mourned for them and have accepted it for what it was, a harsh reality. Merle nodded and moved to the side, permitting me room to pass. Taking my book with me, I went across the hallway to the master bedroom and shut the door. Even the stench of the walker slime wasn't too strong at that moment. I needed solitude, time to digest all that I had just learned. The door to the guest bedroom clicked shut as well, Merle closing out the world like I had just done. It was funny, really. At the end of the world, with no one else around, we still pushed each other away to deal with our own problems instead of turning to the only other human who could understand. 


	5. Interest

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead A/N: A very special thank you to wtldr and synethesiac for their encouraging reviews. Every time I feel like I'm going wrong in some way, they discredit that notion.

CHAPTER FOUR: INTEREST

I sat on the floor next to the closet, a box of old photos I had found on my lap. I flipped through the images, looking at the lives of the people who used to live in the house. Everything from individual childhood pictures to grandkids was kept in that box. It had been a couple of hours since my run-in with Merle and neither of us had budged from the rooms we had holed ourselves in. The information sank into me slowly as I passed the time viewing the pasts of the old couple. I was holding a picture of a large, happy family when I finally decided what I was going to do. I was going to stay with Merle. It was a fact that we were all we had and there was strength in numbers. I didn't have to always like Merle, but I knew that I could at least tolerate him for however long we would have together. I looked down at the three generations in the picture I held and felt depressed. They were all gone. I sighed and tucked the picture under by bra strap so I could put away the box of memories. I left the bedroom and breathed in the clean air of the rest of the house. Merle's door was still shut and there weren't any sounds coming from inside.

I knocked twice on the door, calling gently, "Merle? Can we talk?"

"We already talked," I jumped back when he responded, he sounded like he was right at the door. The door cracked open and Merle looked out at me. "Is it important?"

"Yeah," I nodded. Merle nodded as well and shut the door again. I waited impatiently for him to open up again; he rustled about inside, shifting things around, making a ruckus. Finally, the door opened and Merle let me inside. He had been organizing things, there were piles of clothes, shoes, books, and other random items all over.

"Had to make some room," Merle gestured to the bed and we sat down together. I drew my legs up underneath me and Merle sprawled out on top of a layer of summer dresses he had unearthed from the 1950's.

"I figured we'd discuss what's going to happen tomorrow when we leave, and then where we're heading," I said with a lopsided shrug.

"Well, I still have to get gas from somewhere. We passed a gas station on the edge of town, I'm gonna go there,"

"By yourself?" I asked shrilly. That didn't seem like a very good idea.

"Faster that way ain't it? I'll be in, out, no problem," Merle leaned back on his elbow, eyeing my curiously. "You worried?"

"Of course I am! How could I not be?" Merle placed his hand over his heart and gave me a sickenly saccharine smile.

"I'm touched, I didn't know you cared,"

"Merle," I said in a warning tone. Merle reached out and smacked my knee jokingly all while laughing.

"Don't worry, sugar, I got it covered. Done it loads of times," Merle laughed again, the sound being harsher than it was meant. "As for getting out of here, I'm just gonna back the van right up to the door way, close enough the walkers won't be able to get in unless they go under, and we'll load from here," Again, a sound plan from Merle. I suppose I should have learned that Merle was a more than capable human being.

"We could always block the way with a piece of furniture," I suggested. Merle rubbed his chin thoughtfully before nodding,

"Sure, that'd work," Merle suddenly flopped over onto his stomach and reached for something on the floor on the otherside of the bed. "Found this for ya," Merle sat back up holding a peach colors hat adorned with a white ribbon and a single white plume. He plopped it onto my head unceromoniously and I gave him a look of utter confusion.

"It's a hat," Merle nodded, obviously quite pleased with himself.

"Looks good on ya," I touched the brim of the hat and allowed a small smile. Merle continued to lay about in a rakish manner and, after a moment's deliberation, I chose to join him. I stretched out on my side, the peach hat still firmly seated over my braids, and rested my chin on my hand.

"I know we've already discussed possibilities for where to head but-"

"-You want to know for certain?" I nodded at Merle's question. "Northwest, to the border," I mentally mapped the course in my mind. There was no right direction, no wrong direction, just chances to be had I supposed.

"Alright," We lapsed into silence, simply studying one another with blank expressions. For all we knew, this would be out last moment of peace for a long time and we were both using to learn about each other. The silence was broken when Merle asked me my full name. The walls came tumbling down between us and we spent the afternoon just talking about our lives, our pasts. I learned that Merle Dixon ( a very Southern last name) was 51 years old, that his brother was still with the group that had abandoned him, that he owned a dog named Peanut Butter when he was six that got hit by a car, and that his father had been a raging alcoholic. Likewise, Merle learned my history. He was skeptical when I explained my adoption, some of his racist attitude leaking through, but that passed quickly. The sun sank below the horizon and the room darkened, neither one of us felt bothered to get up and light anything so we stayed that way.

"You hungry?" I asked after we both caught our breath from laughing at a particularly saucy joke Merle told.

"Not really. Just kinda want to sleep,"

"Same here," I took my hat off and tossed it gently to the floor. "Mind if I just sleep here?" There was nearly three feet between us so there was more than enough room for us. In the darkness, I felt Merle shift and his hand found my arm. Deftly, it slid down the length, leaving goosebumps in its wake, until it found my hand.

"Mind if I do that?" He countered. I tangled my fingers with his and gave a squeeze. "Don't want a nightmare again,"

"No, I don't mind," Merle moved around again, removing his hand from mine for a moment. A pillow was tossed onto my stomach which I tucked under my head and a blanket was pulled up over us both. Merle's hand slipped into mine again and I rolled onto my side, clasping Merle's hand with both hands. Even though it wasn't very late, we both fell asleep quickly, preparing ourselves for the mad dash of tomorrow. 


	6. On the Road Again

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead A/N: A friend of mine asked me how I could write an entire story about Merle since he was on screen for such a short period of time and was high/loopy from the heat the whole time. The simple answer is that I believe that the drugs enhanced Merle's less than favorable traits and pushed the normal, human ones into the background. Using Daryl as a model (who, in my head canon, was pretty much raised by Merle) I identified characteristics that both would probably share. From there, I used those two bits of information plus my limited knowledge on PTSD and drug withdrawel to create my Merle.

As usual, I would like to thank my reviewers JoanieNobody, wtldr, Jac Danvers, synethesiac, and blondie911. I would also like to apologize now for any OOC-ness that may occur in this chapter. I'm way out of my element.

CHAPTER FIVE: ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Merle's plan to get gas and to load the van went swimmingly and we were on the road an hour after sunrise. Last night's rest had been some of the best either of us got in the past few months and we woke turned away from each other. We both stirred at around the same time and each took a job. I took advantage of one last shower and clean clothes while Merle slipped out to get the gas. When he returned, carrying a full gas can, I was moving all the stuff we were bringing next to the doorway. The rest happened exactly like he said it would, the van was backed up against the house and a bookcase was sat at the base to block out any walkers. Just outside of the town Merle pulled over and hopped out to fill up the tank and then we were moving again. We made light conversation, relating more stories about our past between my given directions. In the distance, I could see smoke spiraling up into the sky and wondered what had caused it. Maybe a city had caught fire and all the walkers in it were burning now. That would be a stroke of luck that I doubted God had the good nature to bestow on us.

"Ya have yourself a special someone back before all this?" I looked over at Merle, smiling slyly. I was wondering when this question would come about since it was a natural conversation topic for two single persons, apocalypse or not.

"No," Merle shot me an agitated look.

"That all you're gonna say?"

"Yes," I bit my lip and giggled at Merle's incredulous face. He took a deep breath and scratched his ear. I was nervous about the fact that he was driving with his stump but Merle wasn't having any problems so I decided to leave it.

"Why not?" He asked with a huff, giving into his curiosity. I shrugged and started pulling at my braid. Taking off the hat I was still wearing, I began unbraiding my hair which decided to frizz in the Georgia humidity.

"Didn't have time. I was too focused on my career to worry about a relationship," I had been an aspiring politician, working in City Hall as an intern. Wanting to get ahead in life, I didn't want to get distracted so I swore off romance.

"That's not a reason,"

"Sure it is," I brushed through my hair with my fingers in a vain attempt to try and make it lay down. "What about you?" Merle shook his head.

"Wasn't very popular," He answered through clenched teeth. I wasn't surprised in the least that he had been unpopular. From what he told me, he and his younger brother were the bane of the town they lived in, mostly by choice. Isolation was a fantastic defensive move, but also a horrible disadvantage. I rubbed his arm somewhat affectionately and leaned against me door. I rested my head against the glass and watched the road race past us. The road being empty have waived our habit of looking in the mirror but I would glance into it carelessly every so often just to see the road behind us. This time, my eyes darted to the mirror and I jumped.

"Cars!" I gasped. Merle looked over at me, confused. "There are cars on the road, behind us! Pull over!" Merle looked into his mirror and, with a curse, jerked the van onto the side of the road. The caravan lead by an RV followed suit and people started to pour from the vehicles.

"Stay here," Merle snapped, reaching under his seat to grab his shotgun. He was out of the van, raising the shot gun before I could get myself unbuckled. I opened my door and jogged around the carrier on the back of the van the best I could in the old woman's sandals. Merle had the gun pointed at a tall man wearing a deputy's uniform, his stump supporting the muzzle of the weapon. "Thought I told you to stay in the car," He growled at me without breaking the man's eye contact.

"And let you charge strangers with a shot gun? I don't think so," I stepped in front of the gun and crossed my arms sternly. Merle finally looked at me and lowered the gun with a huff.

"They ain't strangers," Merle hissed at me, grabbing my shoulder and jerking me behind him. I yelped and stumbled, one hand holding the hat onto my head.

"Hey now, no need to get rough," The deputy said in a smooth southern drawl as he held his hands up defensively. Others were gathering behind him including a thin woman and a little boy, an older gentleman, and a blonde. Further back, two more figures were working their way forward, but I couldn't see their features yet. "Put the gun down, Merle, and we can talk,"

"No thank you, Officer Friendly," Merle sneered, raising the gun again. The name clicked in my mind, bringing forward the story Merle told yesterday about how he lost his hand. I gasped and unconsciously grabbed the back of Merle's dark green button up.

"What the Hell is going on?" A sharp voice shouted from behind the group. A young man with dirty blonde hair and a dingy shirt was stomping forward. Merle looked over at him and released the breath that he had been holding.

"Daryl?" Merle took a step forward and I stepped back. His brother. The blonde stopped just behind Deputy Friendly and the two brothers stared at each other for a moment. Surreptitiously, I pulled the shot gun from Merle's grasp and leaned it against the van and Darly launched himself at his older brother. They clasped each other in a tight hug and, judging from the looks on the group's faces, it was an uncharacteristic display. Even though I've only known Merle for a couple of days, I knew it was very out of character for him. I walked around the pair, noting that Daryl's shoulders were shaking a little and Merle has his face buried in the smaller man's shoulder. I smiled to myself and set myself to the task of introducing myself to the caravan's members.

Deputy Friendly was actually named Rick Grimes, and the skinny woman and kid were Lori and Carl, his family. The old man was Dale, the blonde Andrea. There was a buff black man named T-Dog (the origin of his name I vowed to figure out the moment he introduced himself), a small Korean named Glenn, Shane another police officer, and a mother, Carole, and her daughter, Sophie. They all seemed nice enough, most of them confused as to why I was traveling with Merle and why we were both dressed like we came from the sixties. Little Sophie kept staring at my hat and would look away whenever I would glance her direction. I thought back to all the clothes I had liberated from the old house, a boxful of hats included. I could always give her one.

I made small talk with Rick as Merle and Daryl continued their reunion; they were talking now, Merle looking angry and Daryl looking a tad offended. I had an idea of what was going on but wasn't certain. I could always confirm it with Merle later.

"How'd you two meet?" Rick asked. He had his arms crossed defensively, always keeping one eye on Merle. I fiddled with the string of beads I had decided to wear on a whim and watched the one-handed man with Rick.

"He saved my life," I shrugged. The Dixon brothers turned away from each other sharply and walked back over to the group. Merle saw where I was standing and frowned, he held out his good hand for me and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. No I wasn't going to come to him whenever he demanded it. Merle sighed and gave me a nonverbal plea and I relented. "Don't forget to say please,"I said lightly. Merle scoffed and grabbed my hand firmly, pulling me to his side. A part of me was flattered that he felt so protective, but mostly I was a little peeved by it. I wriggled my fingers in his hold, trying to get free but he held on tighter.

"Callie..." He started.

"Merle," I rebutted flatly.

"Stay close?" Merle let go of my hand when I nodded and moved to stand closer to me.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot," Rick began, his voice calming. "But I thought we could try again. We'd like it if you rejoined the group,"

"Who's we?" Shane asked sharply, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at Merle and I.

"We need to stick together," Lori interjected. Shane, Rick, and Lori fell into a heated conversation as the rest of them stood by. Obviously Rick and Shane competed for leadership and I for one did not want to get in the way. T-Dog avoided looking at Merle who returned the favor and Glenn, bless his heart, tried desperately to get some sort of conversation flowing between the rest of us. Daryl humored him with one word answers and I played along, answering his questions and taking part in an otherwise inane exchange. Merle, as expected, did not participate. He watched the ring leaders argue amongst themselves.

"You wanna go with them?" Merle asked me quietly, leaned into me ever so slightly.

Turning my head to look at him from under the brim of my hat, I asked in return, "Do you?" We locked gazes for a moment and an understanding was reached. One of us wouldn't make a move without the other. Merle nodded slightly and I copied the gesture. We'd travel with them, if they agreed. I made to grab his hand but found only air. I was standing to his left, the same side as the stump. Embarrassed, I simply hooked my index finger into his pocket. He gave me a tiny smirk in return, resting his stump gingerly against my hip. It was still healing and couldn't stand much pressure but the small contact was enough to reassure me. Feeling eyes on us, I turned to see Glenn, Daryl and Andrea looking at us with odd expressions on their faces. "What?" I said. Daryl narrowed his eyes at me and I got the feeling that he wasn't too keen on me. He opened his mouth to say something, probably snide judging from the look on his face, and was cut off by Rick declaring that Merle and I were welcome. The group was planning on setting up camp sometime soon, someplace far away from the city. According to them, they all needed a rest. Merle wasn't happy with the idea since we had just gotten done spending time doing exactly that but didn't contradict Rick. I was glad for that. It would give him time to reconnect with his brother, time that was well deserved.

There was a moment of tension when Daryl insisted that Merle ride with him and Merle's motorcycle and Merle turned him down. Daryl turned his glare to be and was swiftly admonished by Merle who told him not to blame me. "It ain't her fault I'm driving that van and I sure as hell ain't handing the keys over to her. She's a woman and God knows how she drives!" Merle gave me a quick wink to let me know that he was only joking before I got angry at him. Wink or not, I was pretty sure that he meant all the he said. There was a bigot somewhere beneath the surface, I knew that, and wouldn't be surpised if that gross bias came right from the heart of his prejudice. Daryl gave up on his end of the argument and stomped back to his pick up, kicking up dirt and cussing the whole way.

Everyone trickled back to their respective vehicles, Merle and I included. I made sure to grab the shot gun on the way back and Merle stowed it away when I handed it over to him once we were seated. The caravan pulled out and started moving again, Merle waited until Shane's Jeep was in front of us before pulling out and falling into line. I leaned against the door, like before, my fingers twisting the hem of my dress as I watched the people before us. People, more survivors, more people like us. I looked at Merle from the corner of my eye, his jaw was set and his eyes were fixed firmly on the road.

"You okay?" My question jerked him from what ever reverie he had fallen in.

"No. They left me and they only want us to go with them because of some God damned guilty conscience. They don't want me to travel with them," His words broke my heart a little. I shimmied over in my seat so I sat closer to him, offering him silent support.

"Well, I want you to travel with me," I said, my fingers still twisting my hem. Merle looked away from the road and at me, his face unreadable. He looked from my face, to my twisting hands, where his gaze lingered. The air in the van changed then, just enough to be noticable; it was tense and weighted, the air of something unspeakably intimate lingering around us. I looked down at my hands and blushed bright red, my fidgeting and raised my hem line a good three inches and more thigh than was appropriate was exposed. I hastily dropped the fabric and smoothed it down and when I looked back up, Merle was looking at the road again.

"Same here," He said, his voice rougher than usual. I nodded and awkwardly reseated myself against the window. This Merle beside me was so unlike the one that had saved my life just days before. He seemed far more human than he had before and the change happened last night, it was quite obvious. When Merle had taken my hand so freely in the darkness, some switch had been flipped. I didn't want it to change, but with the present company and Merle's history, who knew how he would act around them. I hoped that he wouldn't revert to asshole Merle that I owed my life to.

"How's your arm feeling?" I asked in another attempt to break the silence.

"Fine,"

"It's not hurting or anything?"

"No!" Merle said sharply. His hand was gripping the wheel so tight that his knuckles had gone white. "Just...quiet for a while. I need some time to think and I can't do that if ya keep yapping at me!" My gaze hardened at the outburst.

"Fine," I echoed and shakily made my way into the back of the van. "I'll just take a nap then. Wake me up when you're not like this," Merle gave me a smart assed "Yes ma'am" on my way back. I took off my hat and the beads, shucked my sandals, and tucked myself beneath the blanket I had slept under the first night. I face the wall of the container stubbornly and stewed silently for the better part of an hour before actually falling asleep.


	7. Jealousy

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead A/N: Thanks to JoanieNobody, what., Tenderloin Baby, and wtldr for reviewing. Fair warning, I hate this chapter with a passion. I'm going to post it but it will probably be replaced once I get a chapter I actually like written.

CHAPTER SIX: JEALOUSY

"Is dickwad your default setting?" I sniped at Daryl. Merle choked on his tin of coffee and was sent into a coughing fit that disolved into a hoarse laugh. The group had made good on their plan and we'd been camped for two whole days before the tension between Daryl and I came to a head. Cue a face off over breakfast with the entire group watching. Daryl and I were standing five feet apart, both with crossed arms. "All you've done since we set up here is criticize every single thing I've done. Don't you have anything better to do? I hear masturbation's a swell past time," Merle kept laughing and was joined by Glenn and T-Dog, Shane looked pertured at our argument and Rick seemed content to let us duke it out verbally.

Daryl gave a frustrated snarl and sent a stream of colorful curses my way; he turned from everyone and headed to his tent. If the tent had a door to slam, the whole exit would have been far more dramatic but it didn't need any help. The younger Dixon hated me and I couldn't figure out why. More than a little upset by what had been said, I sat back down next to Merle on the log T-Dog had dragged in from the woods near our campsite. Merle slapped my knee jovially and poured more coffee into his cup. Still chuckling, Merle handed it to me; I took the tin and sipped at the contents. It was disgusting, but it was better than alcohol.

"Why doesn't he like me?" I couldn't help but whine after a pause.

"He's jealous," Andrea answered from across the fire.

"Jealous? Of what? My fashion sense?" I wrinkled my nose. Merle shook his head.

"Jealous that we've been spending time together," He supplied. I gave him the coffee back and slumped forward in my seat.

"That's just stupid," I said petulantly.

"Yup," Merle agreed with me and drained the tin cup in one gulp. It was disgusting whenever he did that, the sound he made made my skin crawl and not in the good way.

"Well, I know a way you can solve the problem," Lori said from where she sat, trimming Glenn's hair. "Merle and Daryl could move in together, like before,"

"No," Merle answered almost immediately. We had continued sleeping in the same cot, in the back of the van, even after the camp was set up. It was part of that unspoken agreement. Us sleeping side by side kept nightmares and insomnia at bay, not mention it fed Merle's overprotective nature. Since joining the group, Merle was reluctant to let me out of his sight and even tried to follow me when I needed to go bathe or use the bathroom. I finally told him that it was unnerving and that I didn't like it to get him to stop. As it was, if I was gone for more than fifteen minutes, he'd set out to find me.

"I thought you two weren't together," Glenn mumbled into his chest. Lori had his head tilted so far forward it was amazing that he could still breathe.

"We're not," Merle and I answered together. Lori and Andrea gave us a look that clearly said that they didn't believe us at all, but they didn't understand at all. Even after that spell in the van when something far from platonic affection sparked behind Merle's eyes and even though I ogled him back at the house, Merle and I kept a careful distance between us. When I had woken up this morning, I was curled into Merle's side whose arms were wrapped tightly around me. At first, I didn't know what was going on, it was a strange sensation to wake up to especially when you never had before. I couldn't wiggle out of his hold on my own so I prodded him awake. The embarrassed pause that followed and the slow, and awkward, removal of his arms was cut short when I accidently rolled off the cot in my haste to get away.

"Then why are you so set on keeping together?" Glenn asked and flinched away from Lori when her scissors brushed his ear.

"Have my reasons," Merle said with a sniff. He tossed the remnants of his cup onto the ground and stood up, tossing the tin into the pile of dirty dishes. "I'm gonna talk to Daryl, stick near Dale," Merle muttered to me before following his brother. I rolled my eyes and pulled the floppy sun hat I was wearing off. I ran my hands through my hair as I did whenever I was frustrated; Andrea got up from where she sat and took a seat beside me. She, Lori, Carole, and I created a sort of girl's club in the couple of days I had known them. We got together to wash clothes (which I protested, quite loudly. Sexist chores were the last thing we needed) and would gossip, indulge in some good ol' fashioned girl talk, and to basically regain whatever femininity we still possessed.

"So," Andrea started coyly. "What happened this morning? That van was rocking and I'm pretty sure I heard a scream and a couple of groans in there," Glenn blanched at the image and excused himself. Lori sat on my other side and leaned in to listen.

"Nothing happened," I said, twisting my hair in an attempt to tame the fly away curls I was cursed with. Giving up, I piled the hair on top of my head and shoved the sun hat on. "I fell off my bed and hit my funny bone, that's all," I twisted my arm around to show them the bruise. I had nicked a saucepan when I landed and it had hurt like hell.

"We both know you two sleep in the same bed," Lori pointed out. "That has to mean something,"

"It's totally understandable. He saved your life, you've two been together, stuck in close quarters for a while now..." Andrea said, explaining their logic. I shook my head, trying to signal to them that they were way off base. "Seriously? He hasn't made a move at all? Hell, when he was chained to the pipe in Atlanta he still offered me a good time," Andrea shuddered with the memory. She and Lori wrinkled their noses in unison at the thought and I frowned a little. I knew that the group didn't like Merle but still, he wasn't disgusting.

"He tried the first day but I told him off and he listened," I shrugged, rubbing the bruise on my arm absently. After I had fallen and banged my arm, Merle was there, looking at the newly forming bruise and delivering an uncomfortable apology for how I woke up. He ran his index finger around the bruise, poking it none to gently and stopped when I smacked the side of his head. He gave me a wolfish smile, asked me if I wanted him to kiss it better, and, even though I couldn't help smiling back, I declined. "There's nothing going on between us," I stood up and brushed off the seat of my slacks. Today I was wearing a pair of Merle's pants, held up with suspenders, and a tank top because I was to do some work out in the woods. "I'm going to get some firewood. Either of you two want to come?" Lori and Andrea shook their heads, both citing their own to-do lists. I picked up the canvas sling Daryl had made to collect wood and set out.

The woods were nice and quiet, a perfect place to think. I walked slowly, keeping an eye out of wood and an ear out for walkers and let my mind wander. What was going on between Merle and I? I couldn't put a name on it. I knew that it was strange and annoying but comforting and natural. I would have to remind myself every so often that I had known Merle for less than a week. A week wasn't long enough to build so much trust on but I couldn't help myself. Merle couldn't help himself either. He saved my life once and ever since he had gone out of his way to protect me from harm, real or not. I hadn't returned the favor, not yet, and offered all I could; company and comfort. I held his hand when no one else was looking, I told him stories about my life and listened to his, I answered all of his questions (save for the virginity one) honestly and with good humor. But what did that make us? It wasn't entirely platonic, there was an energy that existed between us, but there wasn't romance. At least, not yet. I let myself consider a romance with Merle and all that it would bring. It wouldn't be bad, really, just a little odd. What sense of propriety I had kept from before the epidemic told me that it would be inappropriate. He was a good 20 years older than I was, not to mention a bigot. I sighed and leaned against a tree and dropped the sling that I had filled up with chunks of died wood.

"Callie?" I groaned and rubbed my hands over my face. Of course Merle would come looking for me.

"Over here Merle," I answered tiredly. Merle was too quiet when he moved, his large, leather boots never making a sound as he stepped through twigs and leaves. He stepped out from behind a tree, his shot gun strapped to his back. I didn't move from my spot against the tree as he walked over to me, an unhappylook on his face.

"I told you to stick near Dale," Merle crossed his arms and stood in front of me. I pushed back the brim of my hat and answered that I was still within shouting distance. Merle shook his head. "Ain't the same. 'S dangerous for you to be out here alone,"

"In case you've forgotten, Merle, I was doing just fine on my own before you almost ran me over," I mimiced his stance and cocked my head to the side. "Why are you so hell bent on looking after me anyway?" Merle didn't answer right away, he just stepped closer.

"You're different," He said after a pause. I frowned. That didn't answer my question at all. Merle moved closer again and rested his hand on the tree trunk next to my head. I tilted away from his arm instinctively. "Saved my life," Merle added under his breath. His hand moved from the tree to my shoulder.

"How?"

"Was losing my mind," Merle muttered, squeezing my shoulder. My eyes softened. I knew what he meant. Living by yourself, thinking you were the only person left in the whole world, was maddening. I had been there too. Merle's head titled down toward's me, his eyes never leaving mine. My heart pounded loudly in my ears, he was going to kiss me and I was going to let him. Merle paused, the tip of his nose brushing mine. "We need to get back to camp," He pulled away abruptly, grabbing the sling. I sighed and slumped back.

"Merle, stop, please," I pushed away from the tree and pulled the sling away from him. "Can we talk for a bit?" At first it looked like he would object but he relented and gestured for me to continue. I dropped the sling on the ground and sat down beside it, Merle followed.

"What?"

"What are we?" My question seemed to throw Merle off. He shrugged and played with the a twig.

"What do ya mean?"

"I'm getting mixed signals from you," I explained. "One minute I'm getting fatherly vibes, the next you're ogling my legs. What do you want?"

"Don't matter what I want. What do you want?" Merle countered sharply. I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What do you want?" Merle repeated a little harsher.

"I want to know what's going on between us," I snapped. "And part of that is what you want. Why won't you tell me?" Merle lunged at me, wrapped his good arm tightly around me back and yanked me to the ground. Keeping me pinned with his knees, Merle sat back and swung his shot gun around.

"Stay quiet," Merle whispered sharply. I was about to protest when I heard it too. Rustling and cracking from our right. Merle aimed his weapon in that direction and I turned my head to look. Unable to help myself, I clenched Merle's jeans in fear and resisted the urge to run as fast and as far away as I could. Merle pulled the hammer back on his shot gun and we waited. The rustling and cracking got louder. I sat up, shifting my hold to clutch Merle's shirt, and held my breath. A doe walked from around a tree and Merle and I exhaled the breath we had been holding. Unable to resist the opportunity, Merle took aim and fired. I shrieked and whipped my head in the opposite direction. My ears ringing, I tried to catch my breath. Merle sat the shot gun down beside us, the muzzle still smoking, and wrapped his arms around me. He was saying something but I couldn't understand, the shot gun blast had ruined my ears. I had seen death so many times but seeing the innocent doe getting killed wasn't something I expected or was ready for. My ears cleared slowly, in enough to time for me to hear the stampede of feet rushing towards us and Merle calmly explaining the benefits of eating fresh meat. I kept my gaze away from the deer and saw the group stop beside us. The looks of alarm melted off their face once they saw what was going on, Andrea and Lori even going so far as to give me a knowing smirk. Daryl saw the doe and went over to it, looked it over, and declared that he was going to fix it up real good. He disappeared to get some rope but not without giving me a glare.

Merle rolled off me and helped me to stand. I gathered the wood and set off back for camp, leaving Merle to explain away what had happened. Him tackling me had been stupid. If there were walkers we would have had problems getting away from them but then again, Merle had put himself in the way. Either way, I would be having words with him later tonight. I passed Daryl on the way back, he didn't quite glare this time but he still looked angry. I needed to figure a way to forge a truce with him. My to-do list kept getting longer and longer. I dumped the firewood next to the fire pit and began stacking it. The rest of the camp returned then, most of them just walking past me and going back to whatever they were doing. Andrea walked past me, giving me a look that clearly said that she had plans to talk to me later that night. I gave her a smile and a wave as she walked past. I felt bad for Andrea. Her sister had died not to long ago and I was more than aware that she was distracting herself with my relationship with Merle. Even though she hated the man, it was better than thinking about her dead sister.

Daryl and Merle were the last ones out of the wood, the two of them dragging the deer to camp with the rope. The deer was dropped off twenty feet or so from the fire and Merle left Daryl there, giving him a friendly smack on the shoulder before leaving. Merle made a beeline for me, stepping over the pile of firewood I had just stacked.

"Come on," He said, holding his hand out for me.

"Huh?"

"We're gonna finish talking," Merle said, wiggling his hand indicating that I should take it. I grabbed Merle's hand and he helped me to my feet and lead me to the van. The back of the van was wide open and we entered through there. Merle plopped down on the cot and patted the seat next to him. I sat down and pulled my legs up under me, like I always did, and turned to face him. "You wanted to know what I wanted?" I nodded. Merle looked over my shoulder and gave a saucy wink at who ever was watching. I started to turn to see who it was but Merle stopped me in my tracks. His good hand cupped my cheek, turned my face to him, and leaned in, capturing my lips with his in a firm kiss. I stiffened beneath him, caught off guard by the sudden kiss, but didn't hesitate in relaxing into him, returning the kiss with some enthusiasm. I tried to deepen the kiss but Merle pulled back before I could. "That's what I want," He whispered. I nodded, a bit breathless. Merle took it as permission to repeat and yanked me closer, meshing our lips together once more.


	8. Field Dressing

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.  
>AN: Due to popular demand, Jealousy will not be replaced :) It recieved such enthusiastic reviews that I couldn't possibly change it. As usual, a shout out to all my lovely reviewers: wtldr, what., synethesiac, Pin-Chan2, and Tenderloin Baby. I'd love it if you guys asked questions and gave suggestions for the future chapters, being interactive with you guys is really great. Also, I was asked a question from a rather incredulous friend: How could I find Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon attractive? He's in good shape, has an unusual face (which is attractive to me) and I adore his voice. "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" one of his early roles is a pretty good reason as well (it may be about a serial killer, but he's gorgeous in the movie).

CHAPTER SEVEN: FIELD DRESSING

I pulled back from Merle, panting lightly. The man knew how to kiss! I rested my forehead against his neck and tried to breath. He busied himself with peppering kisses over my neck and rubbing circles into my back with the flat of his hand. "We have an audience," He all but growled into my ear with a rough chuckle.

"I don't really care," I answered with a giggle, nuzzling into him. Merle pushed me back and I immediately started to protest.

"Light the lantern, I'm shutting the back," Merle explained, giving me a quick kiss before standing up. I grabbed the electric lantern from beneath the cot and was switching it on as Merle pulled the back of the van closed. I was fiddling with the brightness when Merle sat back down next to me and snaked his arms around me. I leaned against him and sat the lantern down. "Seems like we didn't do much talking there,"

"Well, it just so happens that we both want the same thing," I said, turning in his arms and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"How 'bout that," Merle rasped, leaning down to recapture my lips. I gave a content sigh and started to lean back, taking Merle with me. He shifted and settled himself above me, his knee resting between my legs and his weight supported on the forearm of his bad arm. I hooked my leg around his calf and tried to pull him closer but he resisted. I made an impatient sound causing Merle to chuckle. "Hold your horses, Cal, ain't taking it too fast,"

"Are you serious?" I asked moodily. Merle hadn't been subtle with the fact that he was attracted to me; he even suggested sex the first night I knew him! I reminded him of that and he shrugged.

"Didn't know you then, did I?" Merle gave me a rather dashing grin that threw me off for a second. Merle wasn't dashing, at least, from what I had seen he wasn't. He was rough and tumble, thick skinned and ready to do what ever needed done. Merle's hand running down my side and over my hip distracted me from my thoughts. Wanting more, I pushed against his hand; I wanted more contact. It had been too long since someone had touched me in this manner, far too long and I craved the contact. More over, I craved it from Merle. The man who saved my life, the man who drove me crazy, the man I had shamelessly eyed like he were a piece of chocolate cake. Somehow in the past five days Merle had become everything and I didn't want that to change, not for the world. "Why're you in such a hurry? We have all the time in the world," The purred promise in his voice made me shiver.

"I just am," I said, kissing his jaw. With him insisting on moving so slowly I took the initiative. I slid my hands under his shirt, running them over his back. I started to pull it over his head but a sharp banging on the side of the van made both of us jump and stop. "What?" I shouted at the side of the van. Merle chuckled and sat back.

"I need to talk to Merle," It was Shane. I wanted to scream at him to leave us alone but Merle had other ideas. He got off the bed and pulled down his shirt. I crossed my arms and sulked while Merle opened up the back of the van and sat on the edge to talk to Shane. Shane wanted Merle's opinion on the group heading to an army base. Merle thought that it was "the dumbest shit idea I ever heard". I listened to him tell Shane our plan to find someplace to stay long term and Shane agreed with it right off. Scurrying off no doubt to tell Rick, Shane left Merle sitting on the edge of the van. I got up from the cot and went to sit next to him since it looked like he wouldn't be moving for a bit. Merle didn't hesitate in wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.

"Well, that certainly ruined the mood," I said with a pout. Merle nodded but didn't say anything. He really didn't care for Shane but was playing nice so that we could stay with the group. His jaw was clenched and the hand that rested on my shoulder would give a firm squeeze every now and then. Understanding, I patted his thigh and kissed his cheek; we contented ourselves with just sitting that way for a bit before both of us were summoned to the fire pit. Daryl was grilling up some squirrel (as he had for the past two nights) while the venison was draining itself off to the side. I had been very hesitant about eating squirrel at first but realized quickly that it was all we had really and adjusted quickly. It actually didn't taste that bad, Daryl obviously had some experience cooking on a camp fire, and it wasn't ever overcooked. I complimented him on how nicely cooked it was and Daryl grunted in return. I started to say something snide but Merle stopped me. He shook his head and promised to talk to him later. "I want to be in on that conversation," I said firmly. Merle just shrugged and I took it for approval.

Merle and I sat close together during dinner and the camp meeting that took place after. After he had cleaned his hand (he was one to rip apart the squirrrel with his bare fingers), Merle had his arm around my shoulders non-stop. Daryl didn't like that at all, he kept shooting my dirty looks from across the fire but Andrea was enjoying herself. She had this self-satisfied look on her face that made me want to laugh and slap her at the same time.

"Merle told me 'bout an idea he had earlier that I wanted to talk to you guys about," Shane said in his "I'm in charge" tone. Of all the people in the camp, Shane was the one I liked least of all, and that included grumpy Daryl. There was something about Shane that made my skin crawl in an absolutely horrible way. I didn't trust him.

"So why don't you let Merle explain the idea?" I suggested. The look Shane gave me was hilarious and I shrugged innocently in response.

"Okay, Merle, want to tell the group?"

"Not really no," Merle drawled, wearing a wicked grin. I rolled my eyes and elbowed his side. "Yeah, I'll share. Callie and I decided, before we ran into you guys, that we wanted to find a big, closed in place. We talked mansion but more realistically, a ranch. We were gonna hunker down and just live there," The others listened, some of them with skeptical expressions and others with open, hopeful looks on their faces.

"That's...brilliant Merle," Dale said in a slightly disbelieving tone. "We could start growing produce, a fence would be easy enough to patrol-"

"-We'd be safe," Rick added. The others murmured amongst themselves, the idea gathering a lot of support in a short while. Merle looked pleased with himself to have gotten the entire group to agree with him. I rested my hand on his knee and leaned against him. Merle leaned his head against mine and watched everyone immerse themselves in a discussion about what could be done with a closed in property. Daryl wanted to get some animals to raise somehow, Lori, Glenn, and Carole volunteered to start growing some fruit and vegetables, Rick and Shane dug out a map and started looking for areas we could search.

"Good job," I whispered to Merle. He turned his head and gave me a smile and a quick kiss on the lips.

"I ain't always the bad guy," He said.

"I never thought you were the bad guy,"

"Naw, but they did," Merle nodded to the group. I rubbed his knee and sighed. It was horrible from what he told me. He and Daryl had been outcasts in the camp and Merle had been brushed off when he had been chained to the pipe. They could have done something to help him but they had just left him.

"Would it help if I said you were my hero?"

Merle laughed. "That's the corniest damn thing I ever heard,"

"It made you laugh though,"

"Yeah, it did," We turned back to the group just as Rick lead a vote on whether or not to track down an enclosed ranch to settle in. The idea passed unanimously.


	9. Containment

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.  
>AN: I want to thank all of my reviewers: what., wtldr, JoanieNobody, dragoness0420, synesthesiac, and Jac Denvers. I'd also like to thank all of you who have added this to your story alert list, your favorite stories, and me to your favorite authors!

I'm curious...what do you guys think Callie looks like?

CHAPTER EIGHT: CONTAINMENT

After dinner had wrapped up, Merle told me to go back to the van, that he would be bringing Daryl in a bit so the three of us could talk. I told him that I was going to help clean up first and he shrugged.

"Suit yourself," He said before grabbing his shotgun and walking off with Glenn to do a patrol. Merle was still a racist bastard (I caught him telling T-Dog to keep away from him, and from me) but he was learning to tolerate the others. I told him after the episode with T-Dog that he had better change his attitude quick otherwise they wouldn't hesitate to leave him again and if they did, I would be going with them. Merle didn't respond initially but had made an effort to change how he acted. The first step he took involved getting on better footing with Glenn. Merle was working up to dealing with T-Dog and I made him promise that he wouldn't without someone around. I watched him walk away, the shot gun nestled against his shoulder, and couldn't help but smile. I waited until he was within the tree line before helping Dale and Carole clean up. Carl and Sophie were playing off to the side, quietly, and Rick, Shane, and Lori were plotting in the corner.

I used a rag to clean off the spit that Daryl had used to roast the squirrel, Dale and Carole worked together to get all the dishes into a bucket to be washed. It was all done very quickly, even with Andrea and T-Dog just sitting to the side and not helping. Daryl had scampered off to look after the deer so the camp site was rather quiet.

"So Callie," Andrea started with a grin. I sighed and looked over at her. It wasn't going to stay quiet for long. "I thought nothing was going on between you and Merle,"

"Things change," I shrugged. Andrea scoffed and shook her head.

"She's right," Carole finally spoke up. Since I met her, I had only heard her say a handful of words. "Things do change," I mouthed 'thank you' in her direction and she tilted her head. I liked Carole.

"What happened in the van earlier?" Andrea asked. She sat down beside me and helped me to clean the spit. "And if you say nothing, I'm smacking you. I saw enough to know it wasn't 'nothing',"

"You were watching us?" I gaped at her. That was...there were no words.

"In case you haven't noticed, there isn't much going on around here," Carole said. She sat down on my other side and took the cleaned spit from me.

"You were watching too?" I asked. Carole nodded; she and Andrea shared a look. They at least had the decency to look chagrined at being caught. I shook my head and looked back to the task at hand. There was a stubborn bit of squirrel that just wasn't coming off so I took my frustration out on that.

"It looked like you were having fun," Andrea said teasingly. I blushed and tried to ignore her. "That is, before you guys shut yourself off from the world. We had a bet going on how long it would be before the van started rocking but Shane screwed that up," I handed the spit, still with squirrel bits hanging off of it, to Carole and excused myself. I hurried back to the van, desperate to escape "girl talk", and didn't pay attention to where I was going. I ran right into someone who reacted faster than I could and grabbed my shoulders before I could fall over. I looked, ready to thank who ever it was and paused when I saw it was Daryl.

"You should watch where you're going," He snapped, but didn't let go of my shoulders until I brushed his hands away.

"Sorry, and thank you for keep me from falling on my ass," I said stiffly. He didn't make a move to go and I didn't particularly feel like being the one who ran away so we stood there, staring at each other. I put my hands on my hips, trying to appear a tad more intimidating and Daryl crossed his arms, obviously not that intimidated by me. I took the moment to look over Daryl; he certainly was Merle's brother. Both of them were built from hard work and both of them had odd, square faces that a person in the pre-walker world would never call handsome. But, in the walker infested world, both of them were tough and steady, the ones who were going to out-live, out-think, and out-kill the others. Why the rest of the group was so set on pushing the Dixon's away I didn't know, they should be giving the power over to them. "Is that a tattoo?" My eyes zeroed in on his bicep. There was a tattoo, mostly on the underside of his arm but his stance had pushed part of it up so it was visible.. I had a tattoo that no one had seen yet and just the fact that Daryl had a tattoo made me think of him a little differently.

"Yeah. So what?" Daryl scowled at me.

"Just curious. What is it of?" I asked in an attempt to make some small talk.

"None of your damn business," Daryl snapped, brushing past me and stomping off.

"Fine," I muttured to myself and went back to the van. I climbed inside and busied myself with getting everything better for bed. I lit the lantern, re-organized the clothes that I had just organized the day before, and rearranged parts of the van. I stowed more things beneath the cot and stacked others in the corner; if we ever started moving again I would have to adjust them but as of that moment, we weren't going anywhere. I was making the cot when Merle hoisted himself up into the van followed by Daryl. I smiled at Merle and greeted him brightly and gave Daryl a less enthusiastic hello.

"You two are gonna work out whatever's between ya. I gotta help with some planning," Merle said. Daryl and I both protested loudly and Merle ignored us. "I'm gonna be a couple of minutes, get your shit together while I'm gone," He grabbed his pack of navigation related items from under the passenger seat and hopped out of the van. Daryl and I stood there awkwardly, not wanting to look at each other. I moved to finish making the cot and to my surprise, Daryl helped me out by straightening the blanket at the foot of the bed.

"Do you want to sit down?" I offered. Daryl nodded and sat at the end of the bed and I sat down near the head of the bed. "Why don't you like me?"

Daryl rolled his shoulders and leaned back. "'S gonna sound stupid when I say it,"

"Trust me when I say that it's pretty damn stupid right now," I replied sharply. Daryl glared at me.

"He ain't the same Merle, alright?" Daryl said with a definite edge in his voice.

"And you're blaming me?"

"Since he's got back I haven't gotten to spend any time with him. You know why? Because he's too wrapped up in you," Daryl explained. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and looked at his clasped hands while he talked.

"You two have spent plenty of time together," I pointed out, a bit confused. Merle had made a point of spending time with Daryl. I saw them together all the time, talking as they skinned squirrels (as Daryl did, Merle couldn't now) or as they walked.

"Ain't the same. He's always got you on his mind," Daryl shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "Leave it to Merle to fall in love during the apocalypse," I froze at Daryl's last sentence. Merle couldn't possibly love me, we had only known each other a week. I told Daryl as much and he just shrugged. "Didn't say it made sense," Rubbing his hands over his face Daryl turned his body to face me. "Help me butcher the deer tomorrow,"

"Why?" The offer came out of no where and I couldn't stop my kneejerk reaction.

"Gotta make the effort to get to know you better, I owe it to Merle," Daryl stuck out his hand for me to shake. "Truce?"

"Truce. For Merle," I shook Daryl's hand once and pulled back. Daryl stood up abruptly and made his way out of the van, calling good night to me over his shoulder. I returned the sentiment and gathered my night clothes. The front part of the cab had been seperated into a changing space, complete with blanket to cover the portal between it and the carrier so I moved in there to change. I was still wearing the light night shift I had gotten from the couple's home but had always made sure that Merle never saw me in it fully. The fabric was well worn and more than a bit see through and I wasn't quite ready to go to that level with Merle. I had been earlier but Daryl's comment had brought everything back into focus. Only a week, no more. I peeked around the curtain and, seeing that Merle still wasn't back yet, I dark to the cot and burrowed my way beneath the freshly tucked blankets. Merle liked to sleep closer to the van wall but since I got into bed first that meant that I got to. I got comfortable in the bed, keeping one eye out for Merle the whole time. Even though I felt a whole lot safer with Merle I wasn't going to let my guard down. Eventually, Merle came back to the van and rolled the door shut. I turned on my side and watched him move about the small space for a bit. The silence was quite comfortable and neither one of us felt the need to break it until Merle started stripping in the cabin. I squeaked and rolled over, covering my eyes with my hand. I heard Merle laughing behind me; I heard his shirt hit the floor, the rattle of his belt buckle and the grinding of his zipper being lowered. The jeans were flopped on the floor along with his heavy boots. For one hysterical moment I thought that he was going to climb into bed naked but then I heard the sound of fabric being pulled against skin. "Please tell me you're putting on pajamas,"

"What if I wasn't?"

"Then I'm sleeping in the cab," The cot dipped behind me and Merle slid against my back. No shirt. "I thought I said-"

"-I'm wearing pants. Cool it," Merle draped his arm over my waist like he it had always belonged there. I wriggled, a bit uncomfortable with the contact. "Something the matter?"

"I'm not used to people touching me when I go to bed," I confessed, trying to wiggle out of his grip. Merle tightened his arm and pulled me closer.

"Get used to it, I ain't stopping,"

"Merle, I'm serious," I pulled his arm away from my body and slid over and flipped so my back was against the cool side of the van. The lantern was still lit and I could make out the annoyed look on his face. "Not tonight,"

"All I want to do is hold ya," Merle tried to reason with me but I shook my head. Too soon. It had been different when we were just there to help with nightmares. It was all changed now that we had kissed; us sleeping in the same bed was different and him holding me was different. "Whatever," Merle growled and rolled over, turning his back to me. He reached over the side of the cot and turned off the lanter. Darkness fell over us and an uneasy quiet.

"I'm sorry Merle, I just-"

"Go to sleep Callie," He said tensely. I placed a hand against his back and he tensed up. Merle's skin was always so warm and the muscles just beneath the surface rippled slightly. We needed that contact to go bed, I had found over the past couple of days. Merle conceded and rolled over, catching my hand with his. He pushed my hand back to me and rolled over again, facing away from me. I huffed; if he wanted to act so childishly, fine. I rolled over too, making a note to shake the bed as much as possible before settling down as far away from him as the small space allowed. We laid there that way for God knows how long, neither of us falling asleep. Finally, Merle turned around and rested his stump lightly on my hip. I smiled into the pillow and we settled in to sleep.

The morning came too soon and for once, Merle was up and gone before I had woken up. I blinked in the sunlight that streamed through the open door to the back of the van and rubbed a hand over my face.

"Git up," A voice snapped from the entrance of the van. I looked over in the direction of the command and saw Daryl standing there, arms crossed. I blinked at him and pulled the blanket closer to my body.

"Scoot so I can get dressed," I waved my hand at him in the age old shooing motion. Daryl turned around but didn't walk off. Figuring that was probably the best I was going to get, I wrapped the blanket around me and gathered my outfit for the day (a jumpsuit, curteousy of the old couple as well) and stumbled to the cabin to get changed.

"Hurry up in there!" Daryl shouted to me just as I was shoving one leg into the jumpsuit.

"Hold your horses!" I shouted right back. I stuffed my feet in a pair of work boots and laced them up, I walked out then, still buttoning the front of the jumpsuit. Daryl turned to say something but stopped when he saw that I was still getting dressed, his face turned an interesting shade of pink and he turned around quickly. I scoffed and finished buttoning my jumpsuit, ran a brush through my wild hair, and stuffed a baseball cap onto my head. "Alright, I'm ready," Daryl nodded and wouldn't look at me as he lead me over to where we would be butchering the deer.

"You ever butchered something before?" He asked, pulling out a kit full of knives. Daryl plucked two from the others and handed me one.

"No, I haven't,"

"It ain't hard, just do what I do," Daryl knelt beside the deer and pulled back the skin he had already loosened. My stomach churned but I forced the sensation away. I watched him make long, smooth cuts, seperating long strips of meat from the carcas. "See?"

I nodded and knelt on the opposite side of the deer and tried to mimic his movements. My hand shook a little so the initial cut was uneven and when my knife hit sinew I couldn't cut through it. Daryl came around to sit beside me and talked me through cutting through the sinew without damaging the meat around it. When I still couldn't (I was scared of screwing up so I wasn't trying very hard) Daryl inserted his knife right beside mine and, with a quick flick of the wrist, cut through the sinew.

"You can't be afraid of it," Daryl said and told me to keep going. It turns out that Daryl was a competant instructor and pretty soon we were butchering together instead of him watching me and telling me what to do. It took a while for conversation to get going, Daryl wasn't much of a talker so I did most of the chatting but I did learn a couple of things from Daryl like Merle had practically raised him, that he hated sauerkraut (for reasons unknown), and that he broke his leg more than once doing "some stupid shit". It was so obvious that he and Merle were related and, even though I had spent more time with Merle, it was pretty obvious that Daryl was the more responsible, brains of the operation one between them. Daryl told me that he wanted to build a rain catcher for fresh water but they never settled down long enough for him to and he hunted with a crossbow, silent but perfect for killing. Merle was more obvious, shot guns and running walkers over and thought mostly in the short run.

"That it?" I looked over at the now bare carcas and Daryl nodded. My hands felt gross and sticky but at least the meat had been harvested. T-Dog took the butchered meat to pack away or cure so Daryl and I could clean up. Working together we pulled the deer's body into the woods, having to drag it a long ways so that it was a safe distance away from the camp. Daryl had brought a shovel with him and we took turns digging a hole to drop the body in. The grave made, we shoved the body into it and kicked the dirt back in. We stomped on the newly packed dirt, making sure it covered the body solidly, and went to the stream that ran about a mile away from the camp to wash up. I had shoved a bar of soap into my pocket before we had started and fished it out so we could be as sanitary as we could get. Daryl waded into the river, scrubbing at his pants which had gotten deer bits all over them and I sat on a rock by the water's edge, trying to clean my hands. "You're a really good teacher, you know,"

"Thanks," Daryl muttered, moving on from scrubbing his pants to his shirt. He frowned at his shirt and scrubbed harder, the blood wasn't coming out. "You're a good student," I smiled at him and tossed him the bar of soap. My hands were as clean as they were going to get. Daryl applied to soap to his shirt furiously and cursed when the spot still wouldn't come out.

"Here, give me your shirt. I'll get the spot out while you wash up," I waded into the water beside him and held out my hand expectantly. Daryl looked at me skeptically and didn't comply. I wiggled my hand impatiently. "Come on, we don't want it drying,"

"Thought you were with Merle,"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm offering to clean your shirt, not a hand job in the middle of the forest," Daryl scoffed at my wording and shrugged his shirt off. "Thank you," I took the shirt from him and went back to my rock. Instead of sitting on the rock, I scrubbed the shirt against it, trying to work out the deer blood. It came out partially but it was better than nothing. He'd have to boil it later to disinfect it. "Do you want to put it back on or would you rather it dried first?"

"Just give it here," Daryl splashed back over to me and took his shirt back. He slung it over his shoulder and helped me out of the stream. I rubbed the soap with a leaf to dry it off and tucked it back into my pocket. "You ain't so bad," Daryl admitted as we walked back to camp.

"Right back at ya. So, what about that tattoo?" I could make out the design clearly, a start black, tribal design.

"Got it to piss off my old man," Daryl held up his arm for me to see it better. It was good work, who ever did it knew what they were doing. "You got any?"

"One," I touched my rib cage just below my left breast. "For my abuela after she died. It's the Lord's prayer in Spanish,"

"In Spanish? Funny, you don't look Mexican," Almost the same exact words as Merle but they had a different feeling. Merle's had been tinged with racism and disgust, Daryl's were curious, almost innocent.

"I was adopted," I explained. Daryl helped me over a fallen log without losing his step and we kept walking. "I think my biological parents had French ancestory, but I'm not certain," Daryl looked me over with a critical eye.

"You look French," He agreed.

"Thanks for teaching me how to butcher a deer," I said as we approached camp. Daryl waved it off and excused himself to see to the preservation of the meat. I sought out Dale for something to do, and he put me to work right away. I helped him work on the RV. Looking up from securing a hose I caught Merle's eye. He gave me a wink and a smile and I saluted him with a grease covered hand. Whatever had happened last night had blown over, thank god. He was all I had here, though that was changing pretty quick. Andrea, Lori and Carole had all become like sisters to me, Dale like a father, and Shane like the skeezy guy everyone called uncle but who wasn't actually related to anyone. My twisted, strange family. 


	10. Long and Winding Road

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead A/N: Thanks to what., JadeSun12, JoanieNobody, murphstheman, wtldr, dragoness0420, and Lift the Wings. For anyone interested, Callie's a 5'4" woman with light brown hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and freckles. This chapter is just for Merle and Callie, originally I wrote something else but rewrote it to fit the image I had in my head.

CHAPTER NINE: THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

We had grilled venison that night and it was delicious. This time, when I told Daryl he did a great job he thanked me and passed me another piece. I sat between the Dixon brothers and engaged in light conversation with everyone. Andrea kept giving me the most ridiculous looks that I tried my best to ignore but had to explain when Merle asked about them. He laughed a little too loudly, I rolled my eyes and blushed, and the others just looked on, bewildered. Daryl snickered to my right, having heard the explanation. "Not helping," I told him sternly.

"You all had a bet on how long it'd be before we fucked?" Merle asked Andrea and Carole. Both women blanched at being called out and Glenn looked horrified at the prospect. The look on his face made me giggle.

"I so did not want that image!" Glenn shook his head rather violently, like he was trying to shake loose the idea. Shane nodded his agreement, scowling.

"Neither did I," Daryl grimaced beside me. Merle reached around me to punch his shoulder with a snort. I shook my head and continued eating my portion of venison. There was more than enough to go around for once so we all could eat our fill. Right after dinner, Merle and Glenn went to patrol and the rest of us set to cleaning up again. Daryl asked me to help him take care of the meat instead of cleaning up the cooking apparatuses like the night before. He showed me how to pack the meat in salt (where he found so much was a mystery to me) and how to stack it in a crate he found. He explained that since they didn't have all the right tools that this was the best we were going to get as far as preservation went. In the morning he said he was going to pack it in another container and bury it underground where it would be cool. I took him at his word that it was the right thing to do since I had no clue how to preserve meat.

"It's weird isn't it?" I asked while handing Daryl a slab of meat.

"What is?"

"How easy it is," I motioned to everyone working together on some job. Daryl looked around too and nodded.

"Yeah," Daryl said and closed the top of the crate. He walked over to a bucket of water that someone had set aside earlier and started to wash up. I followed and joined him, we took turns dipping out hands in the cold water and passed the bar of soap back and forth until our hands were clean. I struggled to get some deer bits and salt from under my fingernails and Daryl was nice enough to stick around and keep my company. He didn't say anything, he just sat there and let me talk. I prattled on, talking about any subject really and Darly would nod every now and then. He and Merle were so different in that aspect. Merle liked to talk, a lot, which I enjoyed because I was a rather talkative person as well, and Daryl was far more laconic. When my hands were finally cleared of deer and salt I shook them in the air to dry them and Daryl jerked back. "Watch it will ya?" He snapped, wiping the water off his face. Smirking, I flipped water at him again. And again. With an eerily Merle-like growl, Daryl dunked his hand back into the bucket and swung a handful of water at me. Shrieking with laughter I returned the volley and pretty soon it was an all out water fight that ended with Daryl slinging the whole bucket at me. I sat there, sputtering and trying to wipe the water from my face while Daryl laughed with triumph.

"Not fair," I pouted, pushing my now sopping wet hair back. Great, I was going to have to sleep with wet hair. The jumpsuit wasn't exactly comfortable wet either.

"You started it," Daryl pointed at me accusingly. He wasn't nearly as soaked as I was, his tank top having taken the majority of the hits.

"Still," I titled forward and twisted my hair, wringing out as much water as I could. Daryl chuckled and rose to his feet. He gave me a hand up and offered to walk me back to the van to make up for his cheating. I declined and waved good night to him as I walked to the van. Inside I peeled off the wet jumpsuit, making a face at the feeling and pulled on my nightgown. Instead of getting into bed right away I sat on the edge of the cot and stretched a little. I also braided my hair tightly, not caring if it was going to frizz in the morning, at least it wouldn't be too uncomfortable at night. Merle stepped into the van just as I finished knotting the end of the braid.

I hurried to pull the blanket across my front and Merle chuckled. "You don't have to cover up," He said, waggling his eyebrows. I made a point of wrapping the blanket tighter around myself. Merle raised his eyebrow, sensing a challenge, and advanced slowly. Supressing a giggle and scooted back on the cot, the look on Merle's face a perfect combination of seduction and joking. He dropped to his knees in front of the cot and grabbed my ankle before I could tuck it under my body. Laughing I let him pull me to him until my legs were on either side of his chest. I held the blanket to my chest and leaned down, kissing him lightly. Merle tried to deepen the kiss but I pulled back before he could. "What's-" Merle started but I stopped him by pressing a finger to his lips.

"We're going to take this slow, okay? Really slow," Merle narrowed his eyes at me and leaned his elbow on my thigh, resting his head on his hand.

"Why?"

"Merle, how long have we known each other?" I asked. Merle stopped and leaned back, his face a perfect mirror for whatever was going on in his head.

"Damn, has it really been a week?" Merle fell back on his heels in disbelief. I nodded. "Damn," Merle frowned and stood up. He scratched his ear like he did whenever he was thinking hard about something. "Feels like longer," He said.

"I know," I leaned forward again and kissed his cheek. "Come on, let's go to bed," Merle nodded his head and gathered his clothes. Thankfully, this time he went to the cabin to get changed. I took that brief moment to get everything ready, including shutting the door. I straightened up from latching the door and squeaked when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind. I felt Merle nuzzling my neck, just below my ear, as we swayed in place.

"I like this night gown of yer's," Merle whispered into my neck, causing me to shiver. He kissed my shoulder.

"Of course you do," I replied loftily. Merle turned me around in his arms, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we danced like we did to the old records.

"I want to touch you Callie," Merle said softly, running his hand up and down my back. I bit my lip and almost groaned. That was so damn tempting.

"I want that too, but I need time to adjust. Just like the whole cuddling thing, I'm not used to it," Merle gave me a suspicious look.

"You ain't a virgin are ya?" He asked slowly. I was taken aback by the question, offended and shocked that he would ask that.

"No! I just haven't had sex in about two years," I answered stiffly. Merle looked just as surprised at my answer as I had felt at the question.

"Just making sure," Merle shrugged and pulled me closer to him. "Ya said ya weren't used to cuddlin' and sex so I figured...wrong, obvisouly, but still," Merle danced us to the bed and sat himself down, pulling me into his lap without giving me a chance to complain or resist. He gave me a wide grin and asked in as innocent a way as Merle could manage, "I get to hold ya tonight?" I shifted uncomfortably and thought about it. I suppose I could always try it, if I didn't like it I would just move away from Merle, or Merle away from me, whichever was easier.

"I guess," I said shyly. Merle let go of my so I could crawl into bed, all while keeping my arm across my chest. I could care less if Merle saw my underwear (daisy today) but I wasn't quite ready for him to see anything else. Merle check his shotgun, switched off the lantern, and climbed into bed behind me. Like we had last night, I faced the wall and Merle curled himself around me. Sighing I let myself relax against him and found it to be very comfortable. Merle fell asleep almost right away behind me but I stayed up for a bit, listening to him breath. It was odd but serene and perfect. It was the sort of thing I had dreamed about happening in my normal life when I had a moment. I had always dreamed about marrying someone, settling down, having a few kids. Merle wasn't exactly the type of guy I had expected, or wanted, but I didn't regret it happening like it had. I ran my hand over Merle's arm as I thought. Sure, he wasn't prince charming and sooner or later, there'd be some blow out that we couldn't just get over but I was ready for that. I played with Merle's hand that rested on my stomach, tracing the long fingers and the broad palm. He shifted behind me and I stopped, thinking he might wake up, but he didn't. Smiling, I released his hand and turned over so I faced him. I couldn't see him since it was so dark but I could see his face in my mind's eye. He looked his age when he slept. I ran my hand over his sharp cheekbones and square jaw. Not a beautiful face but one I had come to love to see. "Merle?" I whispered as soft as I could. When he didn't move, I kissed him gently and tucked my head under his chin. "If I'm not careful I'm gonna end up falling in love with you too," 


	11. Can't Outrun You

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

A/N: Thanks to what., Lift the Wings, JoanieNobody, wtldr, Tenderloin Baby, and lonelywaldorf. A song that's been serving as major inspiration for where I want Merle and Callie to end up is "I Can't Outrun You" by Trace Adkins if anyone would like to take a listen. JoanieNobody had mentioned Merle's drug problem in her review at exactly the right time because I was planning on bringing that back really soon, like now :)

Also, it was asked if I would consider writng a segment from Merle's point of view and I don't think that I will. I find it rather annoying in fanfics where the author jumps POV constantly or even once. So, I'll be sticking with Callie's point of view. It would fantastic if someone would like to tackle it though! I don't think that I could write Merle first person but if someone else is up to the challenge, I'd love to read it.

CHAPTER TEN: CAN'T OUTRUN YOU

Waking up in Merle's arms turned out to be a wonderful experience. Curled against his side, my head on his chest, and his arms slung around me...it was like it all belonged that way. I smiled for no real reason and just laid there until Merle woke up. He turned to look down at me, still half-asleep, with a smile. "Mornin',"

"Good morning," I replied. Merle stretched his arms over his head and swung his legs over the side of the cot. I stretched out on the cot, taking up the extra space like a cat. He looked over his shoulder at me with a grin and leaned over to kiss my forehead.

"Got a lot of stuff to do," Merle said by way of excusing himself and set himself into motion. I laid there and watched him move around the small space, disappear to get dressed, and return to gather some supplies. "Bunch of us are going to a nearby town to get supplies," He said while checking his gun. I did not like the sound of that. Merle sat back down on the cot, seeing my concerned face, and said, "We're gonna be fine. Just a few of us, we'll be quick. In, out, no problem," I sat up and rested my arms on my knees.

"Still, a town means a lot of walkers," I said. Merle nodded and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"We'll be fine, we can take care of ourselves. Anything you want?"

"Chocolate," I answered without hesitating. Merle laughed and nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," Merle gave me a lingering kiss and left through the cabin. I sat there after he left for a bit. I didn't like that at all. I knew that Merle could take care of himself and others but the danger was too prevelant. Walkers weren't exactly predictable. I've seen them learn to use tools, to climb, to open doors and turn locks. Giving myself a firm shake and telling myself that Merle would be fine I got out of bed and got dressed. I was climbing out of the van just in time to see T-Dog, Shane, Rick, and Merle climb into Shane's Jeep and Daryl's pick up. They had loads of gas canisters in the back of the truck and the Jeep has bags handing out of the doors. Others had gathered around them to say goodbye, I say Lori holding onto Rick for dear life, Dale talking to Shane, Glenn giving T-Dog a masculine, one armed hug complete with back slapping, and Daryl standing next to Merle with his arms crossed. I went over to join them, coming to stand beside Daryl who was giving Merle the 'You better be careful and don't act like too big of an ass. If you get yourself abandoned again I ain't gonna try to find ya again' speech. The brothers hugged firmly and Merle yanked me to him, giving me a firm kiss.

"You keep an eye on her," Merle told Darly, pointing to me. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. I could take care of myself, but Merle didn't care. Daryl nodded solemnly, intent on doing his older brother proud. Merle gave me one more kiss and climbed into the trucker, ready to drive. The ones who were staying behind all stepped away from the vehicles as they started up and drove off. I stood beside Daryl, watching the Jeep and pick-up leave until I couldn't see them any longer.

The day passed without event, each of us doing what ever needed to be done. Night was falling and the men still weren't back. Everyone else had gone to bed but I volunteered to stay up and take a watch for once. I sat by the fire, keeping my eyes plastered on the road, hoping to see their headlights. It was nerve wracking, waiting to see something that very well might not come. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, pulling myself into a tight ball. My shift would be ending soon and I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't think I could sleep without Merle there. What nightmares would resurface? I shivered at the thought. The things that had kept me up at night before Merle were horrifying and I didn't think I could face those again.

"Hey Callie," I jumped and turned around. It was Dale. "Your shift is over, you can go to bed," The old man sat beside me and stirred the fire.

"It's okay, I don't mind taking another,"

"Callie, you need sleep. A tired watchman is almost worse than no watchman," He said, patting my shoulder. "Go get some sleep. You have to look your best for Merle when he gets back," Snorting and shaking my head, I said my goodnight and went back to the van. I didn't bother undressing for bed, I just went straight to the cot. I tried to fall asleep, burrying my face in the pillow trying to catch Merle's scent but it didn't work. I tossed and turned restlessly. I missed the body heat and the presence beside me. With a groan I threw the covers off and stuffed my feet into my shoes. I jumped out of the van and walked right to Daryl's tent. Dale watched me from the fire but didn't comment. He was a sweet old man, he understood things that other didn't.

"Daryl?" I shook his tent front a little. "Daryl?" I shook harder. I heard rustling inside and the tent flapped unzipped from the inside. A barely awake Daryl stuck his head out.

"What? 'S everything okay? They back yet?" He asked, rubbing his face roughly.

"No, nothing like that. I have an odd favor to ask," I knelt in front of the tent and Daryl looked at me through half-closed eyes. "Would you mind if I slept with you tonight?" Daryl blinked at me, his sleep adled brain processing the question slowly.

"What?"

"May I sleep with you tonight?" I repeated slowly. Daryl blinked again and shrugged.

"Guess so," He flopped back into the tent. I followed him, ducking into the small space. I closed up the tent flap and felt my way to where Daryl had set up his sleeping mat. He was already laying back down to sleep so I just situated myself beside him, barely touching him with my hand. Daryl just took my hand in his and held it. It wasn't the same but it was pretty close. I fell into a fitful sleep that wasn't, praise the Lord, filled with bad dreams. The morning couldn't come soon enough. I woke up with Daryl cuddled into my shoulder, drooling a bit onto my shirt. Wrinkling my nose I rolled him over and away from me so I could get back to the van. I unzipped the tent flap quietly and got out, turned around to zip it up when I heard the wheels on the dirt. Whipping around I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face as the two cars rolled into camp. I jumped to my feet and ran forward to meet them. Merle was the last one out of the vehicles and I all but tackled him.

"Whoa, hey now," He laughed, catching me. I was too happy to care when he gave my ass an affectionate squeeze. I burried my face in his should and held on. I did not like not knowing what was happening with him. It was terrifying. "Told ya I would be back,"

"You didn't mention the overnight thing," I said into his shoulder. Merle sighed and leaned his head against mine.

"Everything go okay while I was gone?" He asked. I nodded, not intending to move at all. "Why were you coming out of Daryl's tent?" Merle's tone changed just a little, it was a little colder but it wasn't that big of a change. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been listening to him so intently.

"I slept there last night," I answered flippantly. Merle tensed up and I pulled back to look at his face. Merle's jaw was clenched, his eyes hard as he glared at the tent. "Merle?"

"Did he try anything?" He snarled. Taken aback, I tried to step away from him but his arms were around me a little too tight.

"No, of course he didn't," I pushed against his chest, trying to pull away. Something was really wrong with him.

"Cause I swear if he did I'll break his fucking neck," Merle snapped, starting to walk towards Daryl's tent.

"He's your brother, Merle!" I stepped in front of him but he shoved me to the side. Rick and Shane moved to intercept him which Merle did not like. He started kicking and cussing, calling for Daryl to come out and own up. Daryl crawled out of his tent, a resigned look on his face. He was used to this Merle. Gaping, I stared at Merle in disbelief. "What did you take?" I shrieked at him, stomping in front of him. Merle ignored me, screaming at Daryl. "What did you take?" I shouted again. Merle turned to me, stopping his tirade.

"None of your business, sweetheart," He sneered. Rick and Shane exchanged a look and nodded. Shane moved first, incapacitating Merle in a swift, smooth move that he must have used before but Merle fought back, kicking out at me. I stumbled away from him, running into Daryl who dropped his hands on my shoulders. Shane pulled Merle to the ground and laid into him, making sure that he could move when Rick performed a quick pat down. He pulled a bag of white powder from Merle's front pocket. I couldn't believe it. I shook my head and ran off to the van, feeling sick to my stomach. I had been right that time in the house, Merle did have a problem and he used going off to get supplies as a cover for getting more drugs. I climbed inside, slamming the locks on the two doors and securing the back of the van. Someone slapped on the window, trying to get my attention.

"Go away!" I shouted.

"Callie, let me in," Daryl called. I could hear Merle cursing and thrashing around outside. I moved to the front of the van and pulled back a window cover. Daryl stood by the door solemnly, his face down turned. I knocked on the window to get his attention and unlocked the door. I went back to the back of the van as Daryl let himself in. I sat down on the cot and burried my face in my hands. Daryl sat beside me and waited for me to talk.

"He's an addict?" I finally asked. Daryl nodded.

"Seven years now," Daryl said, rubbing his face tiredly. "Thought he kicked it though when you two showed up. He seemed like the old Merle," When I turned to look at Daryl I saw the resignation on his face, how hurt he looked that Merle would relapse like that. Even though it hurt for me to find out I knew it had to be a hundred times worse for Daryl. Unable to help myself I pulled Daryl into a tight hug. He latched on, rubbing my back soothingly.

"I had no idea. He didn't tell me," I whispered. Daryl hugged me tighter. I had the feeling that he needed the hug more than I did so I returned it with as much strength as he gave it. "And I didn't know my staying with you would set him off either?"

"Even sober Merle's always been a jealous guy," Daryl said, pulling back and shrugging. "He had a girlfriend once but she kept making eyes at me. She even made a move once. He got drunk, punched me in the jaw and kicked her to the curb," Daryl gave me a bitter smile. "Begged for forgiveness afterwards, sorry for hittin' me an' all," He laughed and rubbed his chin. "Hurt like hell. Merle takes a swing at ya, ya ain't gettin' back up," I frowned and rubbed his shoulder. I didn't know any of this about Merle and that was pretty damn scary. Just two nights ago I fancied myself falling for him.

"I'm so sorry," I didn't know what I was apologizing for but I felt like I needed to say it. Daryl shrugged.

"S'okay. He raised me, you know. Better dad than my old man," Daryl shifted around on the cot getting more comfortable. Merle was starting to quiet down outside. "Merle's 11 years older 'n me. He took care of my from the start. I remember, first day of school, he made my lunch and dropped me off. Mom and dad were passed out so they didn't go," I leaned back on the cot, listening intently. "I only ever saw him drunk once before I moved out, he made sure that he wasn't like the old man while I was there. Something happened a while back. He had a cancer scare and turned to the bottle which turned into crack," Again Daryl rubbed at his face. "Sort of runs in the family, ya know? It's amazing he ain't dead yet. Had a couple of close calls though. One O.D. and one time where he almost choked on his own vomit," I bit my lip and looked down at the blanket. I traced the stitching with my finger and sighed.

"Didn't know what I was getting into," I said quietly. Daryl looked at me, his face blank, just like Merle's was so often. "Doesn't matter now though," I sat up, my resolve hardening. I had promised Merle that I was going to save his life and I was going to do that. I pulled Daryl into one more quick hug. "I'm going to go see him. I won't be good for anything hiding in here," Daryl nodded and went first, climbing out of the truck and helping me down. I found Lori and asked where Merle was and she pointed at a tree to the left of camp. He was tied down and thrashing. I walked over to him, my head held high.

"You back?" Merle spat at me as I came closer. I knelt beside him where he could kick me and sat against the tree. "You gonna say somethin'?"

"I'm going to sit here," I started in a calm voice. "And I'm not going to go anywhere,"

"Thought ya were upset with me," He sneered, rolling his head to look at me with wild eyes.

"I'm disappointed, I won't lie," I said, not looking away even though I wanted to. It was not a pretty sight and I knew it was going to get worse as the drugs started to wear off. Merle laughed, it sounded like more of a snarl, and looked away from me.

"Gotcha hooked don't I?" Merle snorted deep in his throat and spat a wad of saliva onto the ground. I wrinkled my nose in distate. "Can't get enough of me?"

"I'm paying off my debt," Merle stopped his movement and looked at his lap.

"You're gonna save my life," He said, sounding almost dejected. "That's how you're gonna git rid of me. Save my life, pay off your debt and run," Merle's anger had left and was replaced with depression.

"I'm not getting rid of you, Merle," I touched his shoulder just above where the ropes held him to the tree. "I want this Merle gone though. I don't like him one bit,"

"He sure likes you sugar," Merle said with what was supposed to be a seductive look. "I ain't tied down all the way, sweet thing. Still can give you a good ride," Merle gave a hip thrust and I gave him a stern look. "Hey now, why the face? Just trying to be helpful,"

"Stop talking Merle, please," I whined and leaned my head on my shoulder. I was surprised that he listened and just leaned back. His body started shaking and I realized that he was crying again.

"I don't mean to be this way," He sobbed, trying to turn his face into my shoulder. I cupped his neck with my hand and tried to sooth him. "Don't mean to upset ya,"

"I know," I stroked the back of his neck gently.

"Just can't do anything right,"

"You do plenty right," I said quickly. I did not want him thinking like that. "Just not this. Not the drugs, but you do plenty right,"

"Yeah, like what?" Merle sniffled and pulled back, waiting for my answer.

"Like saving my life,"

"Well, I wasn't gonna let a sweet thing like you get wasted on them walkers," Merle said loudly, laughing. I sighed and shook my head.

"I have to do some chores Merle. I'll be back in a bit with some water and food for you," I stood up and kissed the top of his head, walking off. He yelled at me that I didn't give him a proper good bye but I turned him out, as did the rest of the camp. People were careful not to look at me or Merle the rest of the day. I would stop every couple of hours to bring him a tin of water and some food. The first time Merle was pretty okay, he acted like he did before I left him. The second and third time though he started to get angry and then sick. By nightfall Daryl and Rick were carrying an almost passed out Merle to the van and I helped them to put him to bed. Daryl sat down beside me and asked me quietly if I needed any help. I shook my head, running a damp cloth over Merle's face. Daryl put a hand on my shoulder and told me to holler if I needed him. I nodded, gave his hand a quick squeeze, and turned my attention to Merle.

He was burning up, shaking like a leaf, and moaning. I sat by his side, holding his hand and wiping his face but I didn't know what else to do except wait.

"Why are you so stupid?" I asked, not expecting an answer. Merle turned towards me and cracked his eyes. We looked at each other for a split second and Merle drifted off to sleep again. I smoothed his hair down and sighed. No sleep for tonight. 


	12. If It Ain't Broke Break It

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead A/N: I've gotten quite a few comments about how some people hated Merle before reading my story and how they now love him! That is incredible to hear, I never thought that I could sway someone's view on him since he was so despicable on screen. Now, I have no clue what the detox or recovery process really is so I'm making it up as I go.

Thanks to my reviewers: dragoness0420, JoanieNobody, wtldr, what., Green Eyed Faerie, and Jac Denvers . Over 50 reviews! That's incredible. Thank you all so much!

AND, I have a question for everyone. Do you think I should attempt a sex chapter or do you think I should leave it all implied? Also, cliched or realistic if Daryl fell for Callie a bit?

CHAPTER ELEVEN: IF IT AIN'T BROKE BREAK IT

That night watching over Merle was one of the hardest nights of my life. He didn't sleep at all, balancing between conscious and unconscious but hurting the entire time. More than once I had to empty his vomit pan and was constantly wiping sweat from his high forehead. Daryl came in during the middle of the night, taking my seat and telling me to get some sleep. I didn't leave the van, I just made a nest among the supplies and settled down for about two hours. I woke back up and shooed Daryl away, sitting back down beside Merle. Daryl laid down where I had just been, not intending on leaving any time soon. We traded off throughout the rest of the early morning and when the sun rose Daryl went off to do whatever he had to do. Andrea joined me in the van, bringing food for both of us.

"What can I do to help?" She asked gently, sitting beside me. Merle squirmed on the cot, groaning. I shook my head.

"I don't know," I gave her a sad smile that returned. Andrea rubbed my arm comfortingly and handed me the plate.

"Well, remember to eat something," Andrea said, leaving the van. She had given me some more venison and a couple of slices of wonder bread. I ate the venison and sat Merle up to feed him the wonder bread. He resisted but I didn't give him much of a choice. I spent the entire day with him, trying to get him to eat both slices of bread in between his vomiting. Mid-afternoon Merle's fever broke and he stopped shivering, finally managing to fall asleep. Sighing in relief I left the van to do some work. I knew that the worst hadn't passed, that there was a lot more to recovering than just getting the drugs out of your system. Lori snagged me into helping her sorting out the newly gathered supplies and figuring rations with Carole.

"How's he doing?" Lori asked, handing my a bag of cans.

Taking the bag, "Better. He's sleeping," I glanced over at the van, trying to imagine what he was looking like now. Hopefully Merle would have his color back a little, not so pale and drawn looking. Carole offered to look in on him in a bit and I accepted. As much as I cared about Merle I was tired. Carole nodded and walked off, entering the van quietly. I turned to Lori and asked, "I don't know what to do. I have no idea how to help, especially after he gets better," I knew that my wanting Merle to get better wasn't enough and I knew that my caring for him wouldn't be enough. Unfortunately I didn't think that the rest of the camp would be so willing to work towards his recovery. Daryl would, of course, and maybe Andrea and Carole but that would be it.

"We'll figure something out," Lori reassured me. I smiled thankfully at her and dedicated myself to my job. Daryl emerged from the forest some time later and joined me. We talked quietly about what to do with Merle while tallying the number of canned goods we now had.

"Someone needs to be with him all the time," I said. Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, we can trade off," Daryl said. "I'll take during the day if you get him at night and in the morning?" I agreed easily. "It's gonna be hard, he's gonna be angry you know,"

"I know. He's also going to have a ton of mood swings. Trust me, I've already seen it," I thought back to the first night and the first day with him. He had been all over the place; seductive, crying, indifferent, angry...every known emotion passed through him in less than 24 hours. That was not going to be fun again.

"And I want ya to stick close to me. He might get violent," Daryl added. I knew that it was a possibility but I didn't really worry about it. Of all the things I had seen with Merle, violence at me wasn't one of them.

"I doubt it. The only time he ever came close to hurting me was last night when he flipped out and that was on drugs. Off the drugs he never did that,"

"Doesn't matter," Daryl said in a firm, no nonsense tone.

"Not you too..." I groaned and rolled my eyes. Apparantly over-protective ran in the Dixon family.

"Not me too what?"

"You're so much like Merle, it's scary," Daryl looked genuinely offended at that. I couldn't help but crack a smile at the look on his face. "The both of you, once you decide that you like me you go over the top with the whole keeping me safe thing," I explained. Daryl gave me a weak smile and nodded.

"Guess so. Always been like that, 'specially Merle," Daryl looked over at the van. Carole came out, motioning for me and Darly. We both got up and moved over to her together.

"He's rambling, keeps asking for both of you," She said quietly, ducking away before either of us could get a word in. I adored Carole but she was so skittish at times. Darly let me go in first. Merle was sitting up, looking around with wild eyes. Seeing me, Merle reached for me desperately. I moved into his arms, letting him pull me into his lap and bury his face in my neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly. Daryl sat down beside us and rubbed Merle's back.

"I keep seeing their faces," Merle said between ragged breaths. I craddled his head against me tenderly, stroking his short hair.

"Who?" I said softly.

"The walkers, on the roof," I sighed and pulled Merle closer. The nightmares wouldn't leave him alone. Daryl patted Merle's back awkwardly. "Make 'em go away Callie. I don't wan' ta see 'em," Merle whimpered. I didn't know what to do. I looked at Daryl helplessly who shrugged, just as much at a loss as I was.

"Want to try sleeping again?" I asked. Merle nodded into my shoulder and Daryl moved away from the cot right away so we could lay ourselves down. I tried to move to the side so Merle could have more room but he seemed content to curl into my side, wrapping arms and legs around me. It was a bit suffocating but I didn't try to fight it. Daryl sat beside us, telling Merle that he was there too. Merle fell asleep almost imediately, still too exhausted with what the changes in his body brought on by withdrawel to stay awake for too long. I didn't blame him. Daryl stayed with me and we made quiet conversation over Merle's sleeping form, talking about anything and everything we could think of to help him. The only solid plan we could come up with was to make sure that he never got the chance to get his hands on more drugs and then, hopefully, it would just fix itself. Neither one of us actually believed that such a thing would solve his drug problem but it was the best we could do. Night fell and Andrea brought all of us some more food.

Daryl woke up Merle and fed him patiently while I ate and took a break to bathe. I wiped away grime and sweat, shaved my legs just to pass the time, and put the sundress from the first night back on. Already it was one of my favorites. The soft fabric was calming and the memory of dancing around the guest bedroom with Merle and enjoying myself made it easier for me to return to camp and to return to Merle. When I got back Merle was looking better; he and Daryl were talking rather animatedly about some hunting thing. I smiled and sat down beside them, letting them talk on. I took Merle's stump and told him that I was going to check it. He seemed hesitant but agreed to let me. I unwrapped the bandages that had become such an everyday look for him and saw the stump up close for the first time. It had been cauterized, that I could see, but it had also been sewn up by hand. Knowing that Merle did all of that himself made me shiver. What a horrible thing. It didn't look infected or irritated but the bandages definitely needed changing. I did just that, silently so Daryl and Merle could keep talking. Exhausted myself, I went back to sleep on the cot, not noticing when Merle joined me later.

I woke up to Merle watching me. I blinked at him, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "Hey, how you feeling?" I asked groggily.

"Better," Merle ran his fingers over my cheek and down my neck, up and down. We stared at each other silently before Merle spoke up in a broken tone. "I'm so fucking sorry," I cupped his cheek and smiled forgivingly.

"It's okay,"

"No it ain't. It ain't okay," Merle shook his head firmly. He kept stroking my cheek and I caught his hand, stilling it. "Don't know why I did it but it ain't okay," I sighed and shook my head. "There's something wrong with me Callie and I don't know how to fix it,"

"We're going to help you, Merle, Daryl and I. We don't want you to have to go through this alone," I kissed his hand. He leaned down, kissing me chastely.

"Promise?"

"We promise," Daryl answered from his bed on the floor by the cot. Merle looked over the edge of the cot at Daryl and smiled tiredly. "You two are disgusting," Daryl said grumpily, sitting up and stretching. Merle snorted and shook his head, sitting up also. I watched them stretch and it was eerily alike. Shaking my head I followed suit, working out the stiffness in my back and arms slowly. If I had space I would totally do some yoga but there was no room or time.

"You up to going out there with the others?" Daryl asked Merle. Merle nodded and went over to his bag of clothes and looked for some clean ones. The one he was wearing were stinking from sweat. He was moving stiffly so Daryl offered to help him dress. Not happy with the idea, Merle agreed.

"I'm not some damned kid," He said grumpily as I left the van. I saw Daryl helping Merle out of his pants and couldn't help but pause and watch. Daryl was so careful with Merle, his concern evident in how he handled Merle. Merle looked over Daryl's shoulder and gave me a grin that didn't look tired at all. "Ya got a think 'bout watching me get dressed, don't ya Callie?"

"I'm just making sure that Daryl doesn't need any help," I crossed my arms returning the grin.

"I can handle 'im," Daryl grunted. I nodded and left the van. I went to the fire, asking what needed done. Shane handed me a rifle and told me that he and I were going to patrol. Shrugging, I told Lori to let the boys know where I was if they were out before I came back and went off with Shane. I didn't like him but he was good with a gun and knew how to sweep an area quickly. We set out, working silently, but Shane just had to break the silence.

"Why are you with Dixon?" He asked without pretense. Shane's tone was stiff and judgemental, I could tell that he did not approve of Merle and I being together. I didn't know why though. It wasn't his problem if Merle and I were in a relationship.

"You wouldn't understand," I said, brushing him off lightly. Shane made a noise of disapproval.

"Try me,"

I gave Shane an exasperated look. How could I explain something that I didn't even understand? Without dropping my guard, I answered tensely, "It isn't easy to explain. I know he's not a great guy but something happened between us that cannot be undone in a million years. Besides, he's not a bad guy," There was a snap to our left and Shane and I moved in unison, aiming our weapons. We advanced on the sound slowly; I could smell it. It was a walker, but just one it seemed. Shane hurriedly to flank it and I continued to approach from the front. That way, we both had a good shot. The bushes parted and a little girl walked out, her body mangled and hanging from her in strips. Obviously some wild animal had gotten to her. It hurt to see her and I couldn't shoot. She was just a kid. Tears formed in my eyes and I turned my head just as the girl started to lunge. Shane's gun fired and I jumped, turning away from the scene quickly. I heard Shane yelling at me, asking what the hell was wrong with me. There were more footsteps barreling towards us and a strong body wrapped itself around me. Without looking to see who it was I burried my face in his shoulder and knew instantly it was Merle, it smelled like him.

He didn't say anything, he just held me.


	13. Jim

Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead A/N: Okay, so, I recieved mixed responses to the Daryl issue; I'm going to not go the Daryl route because it does seem to be everywhere in TWD fandom. Since I do want to create some tension in the relationship and, in an effort to show a different side of Merle, have decided instead to explore something that's been on my mind since it happened in the show. Now, what's gonna happen probably won't in the show (like most things that have happened) and it involves yet another small character so I hope I can do him justice. I know that this is a bit out there, but hey, that's what fanfiction's for.

Thanks to wtldr, Lift the Wings, JoanieNobody, what., nightangelx18, Jac Denvers, and Tenderloin Baby for reviewing.

CHAPTER TWELVE: JIM

I can't really remember what happened right after the girl in the woods. I can remember yelling at Merle for not taking it easy before breaking down in tears, but that was a day ago. We didn't seem to be in any danger of more walkers so the camp was still up where it had been before, people were patroling more frequently, and Merle planned with Rick to find a ranch at an even faster rate. I sat on the back of the van near catatonic, watching Merle move about, already healthier, without expression. I felt...

Numb.

No feeling, not since the little girl. She looked just like the little girl who lived next door, Caroline. She was...had been 5. The girl in the forest had been the same at one point. The thought replayed itself in my mind, threatening to sweep me away with it.

"Callie," Someone spoke up softly from beside the van. I turned my head slowly and looked at who spoke. It was Daryl. He walked to me slowly and hoisted himself up on the ledge beside me. I looked at him, not feeling anything, not saying anything. "It's not like she was human or anything-"

"She was once, Daryl," I snapped, my unfeeling morphing into anger. "She was a little girl and she...and she was..." Anger seeped away and the depression resettled.

"She was already dead, Callie," Daryl grabbed my arm, turning me to look at him. I turned my body but kept my eyes down. His caloused fingers found my chin and directed my eyes to his. "She was already dead and you would be too if Shane hadn't shot her," Daryl made sure to look in my eye, even when I tried to look away which resulted in some bizarre bobbing on his part that would have been hilarious any other time. "You're still here, that's the most important thing," He sounded so firm, but his tone wasn't sharp or harsh. "'Kay, Callie? You're here," I nodded slightly and Daryl pulled me into a tight hug. He stroked the back of my head lightly and I could tell that he was shaken up by it all. I rested my head on his shoulder, curling my hands against his chest. I let Daryl take control of the hug, I was too out of it to care. Daryl held me close for a long while, neither of us moving really. The others kept going about their business, even Merle who stopped by briefly to check on us left us alone.

"You okay?" Daryl asked, eventually leaning away from me. I didn't want him to move, it was nice just to sit there and not to think. I felt safe, like I had when Merle first held me after the incident but not quite the same. I nodded in answer to his question and moved away from him.

"I'm going to lie down," I said with a sigh. I shifted so that I was in the van completely. I went to the cot and settled myself.

"Want me to shut the door?" Daryl asked, moving around where I couldn't see him.

"No, you can leave it open. I'm not sleeping," I rested my head on the pillow and pulled the blanket up over my shoulders. I laid on my side, my eyes trained on the opposite wall of the van. Daryl was right, I was still alive. The little girl, she had suffered enough and was already gone. I kept telling myself that, over and over again until I finally felt more like myself. I wasn't ready to get up though, even after starting to feel better. Some hours later, Merle was stepping into the van, moving about lightly so he wouldn't disturb me. He tiptoed in and to the supplies, starting to look for something. "What do you need?" Merle jumped a little and looked over his shoulder at me.

"Feelin' better?" He asked as he turned around fully and came to join me on the cot. I nodded and sat up, leaning against him.

"I just needed a few moments...well, I guess I needed a whole day," I said, snugling into him. Merle let me, accepting the contact and encouraging it by putting his arm around me. "Sorry,"

"For what?"

"For spazzing out like that. I'm supposed to be taking care of you right now, not the other way around," I sighed, wrapping my arms around his waist. Merle snorted and, with one heave, had me on his lap. The movement was so ridiculous that I had to laugh, lightening my mood instantly. Judging from the silly look on his face, Merle had planned to make me do just that.

"We ain't taking turns," Merle said, kissing my cheeks, chin, and neck. "Don't work that way,"

"What doesn't work that way?" Merle stopped his gentle assault on my neck and leaned back so he could look me in the eye.

"Relationships sugar. That's what this is," I smiled and kissed Merle lightly.

"Yeah, that's what this is," I agreed quietly. Merle kissed me again, firmly and without hesitation. I slid off his lap and repositioned myself beside him, resting against him. "How's the planning going?"

"Grimes wants to scan the area. Take a couple of us and use the pick up, look for a ranch or something," That was a really good diea. An idea I wanted to jump on. As much as I loved the group, a chance to get away from them would be a good chance to re-center myself. After everything that's happened, a chance to get away and do something usefull was too good to be true.

The day went by quickly after that. Merle and I passed some time just talking about this and that in the van, totally relaxed and caught up in each other. We ended up lounging on the cot, running our hands lightly over each other as we shared secrets and dreams. Eventually, we had to leave the van for different reasons. I had to help Glenn map out potential routes on a map and Merle had to go patrol (despite my rather loud protests). While Merle was gone I went to find Rick, after the chance to get out of the camp for a bit. I found him with Dale, working on the RV's faulty hose. He looked up from under the hood and spotted me. Giving me a half-smile, Rick greeted me and Dale echoed. I parroted the greeting back and stopped to lean against the RV's nose.

"What can we do for you?" Dale asked in his usual pleasant manner.

"I heard about your plan for scouting the area for a place to hunker down. I want in," I said, crossing my arms. Rick started to object but I cut him off. "I'm tired of feeling like I'm doing nothing around here,"

"Does Merle know you want to do this?" He asked slowly.

"No. I don't need his permission, Rick," Rick nodded and looked over at the pick-up.

"Alright, T-Dog and I are leaving in the morning. We're gonna be back by nightfall, that's for sure," Rick said, putting his hands on his hips. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Rick looked at me with a critical eye but nodded. I returned the gesture and waved bye to Dale. I rejoined the majority of the camp, life going back to its usual pace. Bedtime came with Merle wrapping himself around me like we had just recently gotten used to doing. It was good to fall asleep like that again. After the past couple of nights, I needed the rest. I snuggled into Merle, breathing him in and letting myself fall asleep.

I was up and ready for the road trip before Merle even started to stir. I wanted to have everything ready to go so if Merle got into a fit about it I could just go. I met Rick outside and handed off my materials; we weren't leaving for another two hours so I had some time to tell Merle and to calm down the explosion that was sure to come. Returning to Merle, I rejoined him on the cot and set myself to waking him gently. As expected, the news didn't go over well; Merle reacted loudly and quickly. I managed to calm him down a little but when I left the van he was still seething. I escaped when he had to get dressed, giving me some time to get out and calm down myself. I paced back and forth in front of the pick up, Rick wisely giving me space to vent on my own. I had already told him that I wanted to ride in the bed so I could get a three-sixty view as we drove and Rick agreed, not wanting to step on my toes I'm sure.

"I don't want you to do this," Merle told me once he was out of the van. I nodded and shrugged. I knew that he wouldn't like it but it wasn't his decision.

"We're going to be in the pick up the whole time Merle, we aren't stopping unless we see something to check out. And we'll be armed," I said in return. I don't know if I was trying to convince him or reassure myself. Merle shook his head stubbornly and pulled me close for a hug.

"Still don't like it,"

"Well, I didn't like it when you went off for supplies. We're even now," I mumbled into his shoulder. Merle shrugged and rubbed my back.

"Guess so," Merle admitted relunctantly. We shared a tender kiss before breaking off to do our own seperate duties. The time to leave came around really fast, almost catching me off guard. As Rick and T-Dog finished their preparations and good byes Merle gave me a talk about safety between possessive kisses. "You better get back here in one piece," He all but growled before crushing his lips to mine. Daryl stood awkwardly off to the side, waiting for a chance to wish me luck. Reluctantly pulling away from Merle I gave Daryl a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Take care," He said gruffly, shying away from the kiss on the cheek.

"I will," I gave Merle one last kiss before walking to the pick up and hopping in the back. Rick started up the pick up and I waved good bye to the camp until they were out of sight. Rick didn't drive to fast since we all had to look rather diligently at every scrap of land we passed. For hours we drove and I thought it was oddly relaxing, just watching the scenery for a job. I was wearing the floppy brimmed sunhat I had liberated from the couple's home so long ago. I had pinned the hat down with a few bobby pins that I had left so it wouldn't fly off my head while Rick drove. It protected me from the sun but regardless I anticipated a sunburnt nose by the end of the day.

So much time passed with nothing happening, not spotting anything. I leaned against the cabin of the pick up, starting to doze off when a sudden movement caught my eye. A figure lurched from the tree line, waving wildly to us and calling in a hoarse, broken voice. "Hey! Stop!" I cried, smacking the window. Rick slammed on the breaks and I fumbled as I reached for the shot gun. I grabbed it and jumped out of the pick up, aiming it at the figure I advanced quickly.

"Help," The figure shouted again, waving his arms. Rick and T-Dog burst out of the cab and hurried to join me. The man ran up to us, obviously not dead. I thought that Rick and T-Dog would go on the offensive but they just lowered their weapons, looks of bewilderment on their faces.

"Jim?" They both asked in unison. The man, a gruff, thin, sun burnt man stopped in front of us, resting his hands on his knees, and nodded.

"Rick...T-Dog..." He said between gasps. I looked between them, confused beyond belief.

"You know him?" I asked, looking from Rick to the man, Jim I assumed. Rick nodded.

"Yeah," He didn't try to explain and I frowned. Turning to Jim I extended a hand.

"Callie Fuentes," I introduced myself. Jim shook my hand stiffly, looking me over with slightly awkward eyes. Rick and T-Dog continued to stare at him in disbelief. "What the Hell is going on?"

"I was bit," Jim answered before the other two could pull themselves out of their stupor. I started to raise my gun again but Jim lifted his hand to stop me. "'Bout a week ago," I lowered the gun again, gaping at him. Bitten a week ago? He should be dead by now...Hell, he should have been dead a week ago! Jim looked at the ground, awkwardly running a hand through his hair.

"Bit?" I echoed. Jim nodded slid his hands into his pockets.

"Come back with us," Rick offered suddenly. "We're scouting for a place to set up a more permement camp but we're heading back tonight," Rick clasped Jim on the shoulder, speaking in a firm, no nonsense tone.

"I ain't gonna turn you down. Don't have anywhere else," Jim gave a rather meloncholy shrug. T-Dog, finally snapping out of it, pulled Jim into a tight hug.  
>"Man! I thought I wasn't ever gonna see you again!" T-Dog cried in a combination or joy and relief. Jim smiled but it looked pained. Probably because of the sunburn that had his face bright red and blistering in spots. Patting T-Dog on the back gingerly Jim pulled back.<p>

"Where can I sit?"

On the road again, this time with Jim beside me. I had given him my sun hat so his current condition wouldn't worsen and was wrestling my hair out of my face. The whole time I kept my hands in my hair, pushing the wild strands back but some always escape. I scolded myself for not bringing a hair tie and ended up using a bit of rope I found to pull my hair back. Jim was looking around rather stoically, keeping an eye out for the same thing I looked for. Jim and I talked a little, he told what had happened just before he was bitten and what had happened after he had been left on the side of the road. Somehow he had managed to russle up food and water for a week which was what had kept him alive after the fever broke. I was amazed that he had survived a bite, as was he; Jim seemed to resent it and for good reason. He thought that he was going to see his dead family again, had been looking forward to it. After that bombshell we fell silent. Two hours passed in silence when Rick slammed on the breaks. Turning around I gasped. A swarm blocked the road. Opening the back window, T-Dog screamed at us to get under the tarp that was in the back of the truck. It was a thick material that would protect us from scratches or lunges. Rick was planning on gunning through them to get to the last point he wanted to check. Jim and I moved together quickly, pulling the tarp from its roll. Huddling together, Jim and I laid down in the bed of the truck, very close together with the tarp tucked beneath us. I rested my head against Jim's shoulder and weighed the tarp down with my foot while he held it down on his side. My breath came out in short, harried gasps and Jim was stiff as a board right beside me. The pick up began to speed up beneath us and I rolled to cling to Jim. His breath hitched in his throat but he let me slide close. I could hear the walkers, their growling getting louder.

"Dear God," I whispered, terror shooting through me. Logically I knew with Rick driving like he was and the thick, sturdy tarp would protect me but the horror still bubbled up within me.

"It'll be okay," Jim said awkwardly, an odd sort of comfort. As the growling, snarling grew louder Jim and I shifted closer together until we were practically lying on top of each other. There were thumps and crunches as Rick directed the truck over the walkers, the sickeningly sweet smell of decay erupting around us. Gagging a little I covered my mouth with my hand and shuddered. God that was disgusting! We cleared the horde in no time and Jim and I sat up quickly, sucking down the fresh air. We could see the horde still in the distance, rambling in our direction but not moving fast enough to catch us. We out paced them easily.

Two more hours of driving and we were turning around. T-Dog spotted a motel we could lodge in that was set into the woods off on its own. It was marked on the map and Rick turned the pick up around and through a wooded trail so the walkers wouldn't follow us back. It was a bumpy ride in the bad of the truck but we muscled through it.

We arrived back at camp just after night fall to find everyone milling around waiting for us. Merle met me at the side of the pick up, helping me down the best he could with one hand. Jim let himself down and when he turned to face the group a stunned silence fell over everyone, even Merle.

Carole moved first, stepping forward and asking in a small voice, "How are you alive?"

"Don't know," Jim answered solemly. Nodding, Carole hugged Jim gingerly. I smiled at the pair and leaned against Merle comfortably. I had a feeling that it was all going to turn out alright.  
> <p>


	14. Healing

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead A/N: The last chapter seemed super off to me so I hope I get it back on track again with this one! Sorry for the wait, life got in the way. So, I'm offering up a short-ish chapter but I'll get into the groove again real quick.

I'd like to know if anyone would be interested in co-writing/co-planning for this. I've got ideas but I keep getting stuck so I'd really appreciate some help with that. Send me a PM or comment in a review if you'd be interested.

Thanks to: what., wtldr, JoannieNobody, Jac Denvers, and Tenderloin Baby :)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: HEALING

The camp was packed up and moved to the new area that Rick had found, no sign of walkers anywhere. That was good, at least. That meant the swarm had moved off to somewhere else, hopefully far away from us. Merle had taken on an even more protective manner after I got by, he didn't like me being away from him like I had been. Now he knew how I felt. "And, I didn't show up high," I had added, much to Merle's chagrin. He conceded on the fact but didn't let me leave the van for a whole day and a half. When I did manage to finally get away, I was pleasantly sore and covered in little love bites. Of course, Andrea and Daryl both gave me a hard time but I blocked them out for the most part. Even though everyone had been happy to get Jim back, he was off by himself. Carole told me softly that he'd been that way since he'd gotten back, barely talking to anyone. Not liking it one bit, I offered to take his lunch to him.

"Hey Jim," I said lightly, handing him a plate and sitting beside me. He didn't look at me as a I settled myself beside him, tucking into my own breakfast. He put down the piece of wood that he had been whittling and took a bite.

"Thanks," He said simply. I nodded and looked at him while he ate. His blistered sunburn had calmed down a bit and he had trimmed his beard.; he was just a normal guy. Taller than the rest of them, except maybe Rick, and certainly skinny, but Jim was just a guy. I continued watching him as I sipped from my tin, smacking my lips and humming thoughtfully to myself. Jim paused mid-bite, eyeing me skeptically. "What?"

"S'nothing,"

Jim narrowed his eyes at me and nodded slightly. He didn't believe me but that was okay. He would eventually ask again and I would tell him then. I didn't have an answer for him right now, I was just so wrapped in observing, I had no idea what I was really thinking. We sat there, watching each other as we ate. Something passed between us, a sort of solemn, bittersweet understanding that made me feel a little bit better than I had been. We were both displaced, the best parts of us had been gotten by the walkers. The group had provided a sort of bizarre, surrogate family but there was still the fact that the rest of us was missing. In my case, I had destroyed it with a baseball bat, in Jim's case, he had just walked away.

Who knew which one was worse?

"I miss them," Jim whispered. Some time ago he had begun whittling again and his hands were shaking. I reached over and laid my hand on his wrist. Jim twitched and jerked, like he was going to pull back, but he didn't.

"I miss them too," I whispered back. I missed my father and my mother. He missed his family. Jim nodded and gave my hand a light pat.

"So, you and Merle?" Jim asked after an awkward pause. I smiled and nodded. Jim made a small noise in the back of his throat, disbelieving and disapproving all at once. "He isn't a...good guy,"

"I know,"

Jim sighed and shrugged. "S your choice. I'll look for you though. Just to make sure,"

"Thanks Jim," There was a pause. "Why are you looking out for me?" Jim rubbed his arm stiffly, searching for the right way to say what he had on his mind.

"You remind me of my wife, when she was younger. I wanna fix what I did," Jim cleared his throat and made a hasty retreat. I sighed and ran a hand over my forehead, wiping away the sweat that had beaded there. Another guy looking out for me wouldn't be the end of the world, but I didn't like the feeling I got when he said it. The feeling that screamed Merle was going to lose his shit over this.


	15. Enough

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

A/N: So sorry for the wait, everyone. College intervened. Here's the next chappie, way late.

Thank you to: what., Tenderloin Baby, dragoness0420, JoanieNobody, Jac Denvers, wtldr, Aownr1669, CaryFairy, and FellowEarthGirl for reviewing.

Now, I've gotten a lot of questions concerning the sex aspect of Merle and Callie's relationship. I am aware of the fact that it is the end of the world but Callie uses her morals from the pre-zombie world to guide her actions. Now, the way Merle propositioned her put her off from the idea of sex for the time being. Another point I was trying to make was a relationship without an immediate physical motive. There's really no good way for me to explain why I chose to hold off on the sex but to me it made sense and, knowing the character Callie like I do, it made sense for her.

Also, I am now looking to take on a co-writer. If anyone is interested, PM me, don't just put it in the review, please.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ENOUGH

Everyone agreed to pick up and move after a week of getting used to things; Jim was back and Merle wasn't a ticking time bomb any longer. He had a little respect around camp now all because he and Daryl had some solid ideas about camp security. There had been more scouting missions for a ranch or large, enclosed community that we all could handle and one had finally been found. It was two days away from our current position but it would be great. Nearly 150 acres, already partially enclosed by a tall iron fence, it was a plantation. The house itself was big enough for everyone and the area around it already full of produce. There was corn, wheat, and a vegetable garden that would feed the entire group and even some newcomers. Rick, Shane, and Daryl had gone ahead to prepare the area, clean out the walkers and such, and T-Dog was to lead the caravan since he was on the original scouting mission.

Ever since the odd moment with Jim in the woods (near the woods, technically), things had been a little tense between Merle and I, unfortunately. I knew he wouldn't take it well that I had started spending time with Jim, no matter how hard I worked to assure him that it was platonic. Jim had been through a lot and was still healing from his exposure to nature, Carole and I were the two that stepped up to help the most. She treated him distantly though, it felt like I was the only person who was talking to him. On the big move, when everyone and everything was loaded into one vehicle or another, I was put in charge of driving Daryl's pickup to the new location. I invited Jim to ride along and Merle didn't take it well.

"The Hell do you think you're doing?" He snapped at me, dragging me away from the rest of the camp after the offer had been made. I shook off his grip and crossed my arms.

"I'm being nice Merle," This was getting old. I had expected it to some degree, Merle was possessive even before we had really gotten together, but this was ridiculous. If it hadn't been for the apocalypse, I would have never put up with it. As much as I cared for Merle now, I know that in the old world, I would have ignored him and dismissed him without a second glance.

Merle stepped closer, his lips parting in a sneer. "Well quit it. I ain't too sure that Jim ain't lookin' at you,"

I raised an eyebrow at his intimidation attempt. "Looking at me? Are you insane? He needs someone to help him deal with everything's that happened to him. Since everyone else seems too freaked out by him, I decided to. I wasn't going to just let him-" Merle stopped me by pulling me into an almost crushing hug.

"I know your heart is in the right place Callie, but I don't want him getting the wrong idea," Merle was shaking and I knew he was holding in anger.

I rested my head on his shoulder. "He won't Merle, he just needs a friend," I rubbed his back soothingly and stepped back. "I want to ride with him to the plantation," Merle sighed and mumbled into my shoulder,

"Fine, but I ain't happy,"

"I don't expect you to be," I smiled and gave him a light kiss. Merle gave a shrug and kissed me again, longer this time. I returned the kiss happily, letting him guide us both until my back was pressed against a tree and his leg was wedged between mine. He gave a moan against my lips and buried a hand in my hair, tilting my head to the side a little so he would have access to my neck. Giving a happy sigh, I let my eyes close and my head fall back against the tree bark. I was glad to let him lick and kiss his way down my throat, it felt divine. Opening my eyes I blinked in shock at the sight of Jim watching us, tight lipped. He caught my eyes and ducked his head, clearing his throat loudly. Merle grunted and pulled back, glaring at Jim over his shoulder.

"What?" Merle snapped.

Jim shrugged. "Was just looking for Callie to ask if she needed me to do anything before we left," Merle grunted and stepped away from me, then turned and stomped off. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"No, Jim, there isn't anything I need you to do. Thank you for asking," I gave him a small smile and nodded in the direction of camp. "Let's go rejoin them?" Jim nodded and motioned for me to proceed. I started walking back to camp and Jim followed behind me, silent as he usually was. It was a little unnerving but I can't say I minded it when Merle couldn't be quiet for more than five minutes at a time. The only thing that bothered me was that Jim was always watching me, but only when it was just him and me. In the group, he usually avoided looking at me. It was strange but, then again, it was Jim.

"Sorry for interruptin'," Jim mumbled as we got closer. His high cheek bones were still tinged red in embarrassment in addition to the sunburn. I shrugged, blushing a bit myself at having been caught.

"It's fine,"

Jim rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Merle and I never really got 'long well but he seems to hate me even more now,"

I shrugged my shoulders and stepped over a fallen log. "It's just because he's under the impression that you're trying to woo me and take me away from him," Jim mumbled something under his breath and I could only catch a few words. 'Ain't' and 'jealous' were in there. I rolled my eyes and was about to comment back but we were at the camp again. Everything was packed up already and people were loading the vehicles.

Without saying another word, Jim wandered off to finish loading things and I went to Andrea and Lori to see if there was anything they needed from me. My job was simple, just drive, but I didn't like not having more to do. I knew part of it was thanks to Merle who had made it clear that I was to be treated with more respect than most people in the camp. Somehow he had managed to bully them all enough so that they were treating me differently.

It was annoying.

In no time everyone was on the road. In the traditional manner, Daryl's pickup brought up the rear of the caravan with Jim and me inside along with a load of supplies. We didn't talk for the first eight hours of the trip; Jim was staring despondently out the window and I amused myself by singing whatever song I could remember under my breath. Every so often Jim would glance over at me and then look away real quick. He didn't actually speak until after we pulled over and switched.

"You look happy with him," He mumbled. I get the feeling he was talking to himself more than to me but I nodded.

"I am," I told him quietly. Jim looked over at me then focused on the road again.

"That's good," He mumbled, his hands messing with the hem of his shirt. I smiled a little and rolled down my window.

"What's on your mind, Jim?" I asked mildly, letting my arm dangle out of the window.

Jim gave a shrug and there was a long pause before he answered. "I was just wondering why I didn't die. Wondering why I'm still here but my girls aren't," Jim chewed on his cheek. "And I'm kinda wondering how a girl like you ended up with a guy like Merle Dixon,"

I sighed a little and shrugged. "Merle's not that bad," Was all I could think of saying. Again we lapsed into silence and stayed that way for twenty miles or so. Something was bugging me and eventually the quiet of the cab wrenched the question from my mouth. "Merle's been on edge for ages now about…do you…are you...?" I was embarrassed by my inability to articulate to the question that I needed to ask. Jim seemed to get it though.

"Nah, I'm not trying to challenge Merle." Jim mumbled fumbling. I swallowed and nodded.

"Okay. Good. I can tell him that then,"

"You do that," Jim pulled his cap down over his eyes and hunkered down in his seat, opting for a nap rather than my company.


	16. Rescue Me

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and I'm so sorry for such a huge wait! You're all welcome to follow me on tumblr, notyourfaggotgun and send in feedback and ideas there.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: RESCUE ME

The rest of the ride to the new settlement was passed in silence. Jim stayed slumped against his door, eyes covered, and I kept my eyes on the road. Following the caravan was dull but I enjoyed it, it gave me time to think.

Everyone was shocked when Merle and I appeared, together none the less. Even his own brother had cautioned me against Merle. It was after the deer butchering lesson, Daryl had pulled me aside and told me that, no matter how much he loved his brother, he could be dangerous. He told me about three or four incidents where Merle lost it and someone ended up in the hospital or bleeding.

"Just make sure ya look out for yaself, okay?" Daryl asked me quietly. I had promised him I would even though I seriously doubted that Merle could hurt me. At least, I doubted that he could hurt me now. He was off the drugs, we finally found a balance (more or less), and he was always looking out for me. Sure, he got a little rough in the sack at time, being a fan of biting, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Most of the time, I felt the safest I had even been when I was with Merle, like he could protect me from anything. And I suppose that feeling was only logical since at our first meeting he saved me from a swarm.

I sighed and shook my head and Jim stirred beside me. He pushed his cap up and looked at me from under the brim. I bristled a little and squirmed in my seat. Jim always had unusually intense eyes and when he focused them on me like that it made me uncomfortable. I glanced at him every so often and continued to stare.

"What is it, Jim?"

He shrugged and reached over, pushing my hair behind my ear before patting my shoulder. I gave him a confused look but dropped it. I should be used to it by now, Jim acting weird. From what the others have told me, even before he got bit he was a bit odd. I don't blame him, knowing what happened to his wife and kids though. I'd be a bit odd if that had happened to me, too.

Jim kept watching me, brushing my hair out of my face for the rest of the trip but neither of us spoke. Jim's silence was a thoughtful one and mine was in an effort to separate myself from whatever was trying to happen.

Arriving at the ranch was wonderful. The outside looked sturdy having been surrounded by an eight foot tall wrought iron and cement gate. The door in the gate was wide open and I didn't get a look at who closed it behind us once the caravan was inside. We drove right up next to the massive, plantation style house and everyone poured out of their vehicles and rushed in like kids on Christmas morning. Merle caught me in the doorway, leaning down to give me a quick, hard kiss.

"I know just the room." He grinned at me, winking in a conspiratorial way. I arched a brow and challenged him on that, asking how he knew the perfect room. "You doubtin' ol' Merle?"

"I'm curious."

Merle didn't answer me, he just lead me up the stairs. Third door on the left and he opened the door and let me walk in first. I couldn't help but smile. It was almost exactly like the room we had stared in at the old couple's house, down to the floral bedcover. I looked over at Merle and he was practically beaming. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him, kissing his jaw.

"Look at you, grinning like the cat that got the canary." Merle chuckled lowly and draped his good arm around my waist.

"You like it?"

"I do, I like it a lot." I kissed his jaw again and this time, he tilted his head down just enough to catch me in a lingering kiss. I grinned and couldn't help giggling, pulling back to scratch at his stubble. It tickled when we kissed and I haven't been able to get used to it yet. I kissed him again and pulled back completely. "We've got to go unload things." Merle grunted but nodded, patting my behind affectionately as he walked past me.

Unloading the caravan took a lot longer than any of us were expecting it to. None of realized just how much stuff we had managed to cram into a few cars and an RV until it was neatly laid out on the lawn of the home and was getting organized. With the immense food stores in the cellar of the house plus our own supply, we were set for two months easily. And Glenn assured us that there was a town close enough for supply runs if needed. The whole time, Jim would glance over at me and stare for a minute before going back to work. It still made me uneasy but I didn't even care anymore. Merle kept going out of his way to walk by me, brushing his pinky against my arm or his stump over my hip. Every small contact made me smile and blush a little and at one point, Andrea nudged me in the ribs and jokingly asked about a wedding date.

I laughed and waved her off, but my mind wandered. Obviously it wouldn't be a marriage by the old standards. Even then, would Merle be up to that? I looked over at him and sighed. Married to Merle. That's an odd thought. Frankly, it was a terrifying thought. We had only known each other for a few weeks but in the zombie ridden world, everything moved so much faster than what we had been used to in the normal world before walkers. Even with this place being more secure than pretty much anywhere else I had seen, it didn't mean that we were out of the woods.

Carpe diem, right?

I resolved to ask Merle about later but at the moment I had to focus on getting things into the house. I carried my things up to the room and most of Merle's too since he was helping Rick and Daryl do something else.

Carol and Lori slipped off to make dinner while we finished up and we ate at a real table, with real chairs, on proper china. It felt almost wrong but no one was complaining. Merle even made an effort to eat like a normal person and not a ravenous warthog. After dinner, after everything was cleaned up, we all sort of drifted our separate ways. Merle and Daryl went outside to enjoy some brother time and I ended up in my room, hanging clothes in the closet and looking in the drawers.

The dresser was fully stocked with men's and women's clothes. The menswear looked a tad big for Merle but I could probably take it all in and the women's clothes looked like a pretty good fit for me. I couldn't help myself, I pawed through the top most drawer and pulled out a full length nightgown. I rubbed it between my fingers and I'm sure I let out a girly squeal when I found out it was silk.

Humming happily, I changed into it, spending a few minutes just spinning around in the middle of the room before plopping down in front of the vanity and brushing my hair. I stared at my reflection as I did so; I already looked better than the last time I saw my reflection. I sat the brush down and combed my fingers through my hair, still humming softly. There was a knock at the door and I chimed quietly that it was open.

The door creaked open and Jim poked his head in. "Hey."

"Hi Jim." I stood and hurried to pull something around myself. The purple knitted cover at the end of the bed was what I found. Jim opened the door a little more and sat a plate on the dresser. There were two hostess snacks on it. I looked from it to him.

"Thought you and Merle might like a treat." Jim mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. I smiled.

"Thank you Jim, that was very thoughtful of you." Jim and nodded and rocked back and forth before leaning over and kissing my cheek quickly, hurrying out of the room right after. I rubbed the spot where he kissed and shook my head a little. What to do about Jim.

Not knowing when Merle would be back, I went ahead and ate my cupcake then curled up in bed with a book I had found. I wasn't even paying attention to what I was reading, I was just happy to have the luxury. There was some rustling outside the door and I tensed for a moment, then Merle slipped in and I relaxed again. He looked over at me and smiled, pulling off his clothes quietly. He took a bite from his dessert and crawled onto the bed, hovering over me.

With a coy smile, I sat my book aside, marking my place, and looked up at him. With a soft grunt, Merle lowered himself on top of me, kissing my neck gently. I sighed and closed my eyes, tilting my head back for him.

Merle rolled off and onto his side, pulling me against him. He reached over to the bedside table and turned off the lantern, submersing the room in darkness. With a sigh, he kissed my neck again and laid against me.

"Night Callie." Merle muttered lowly, his voice edged with that growling quality it got when he was tired.

"Good night Merle."


	17. Moment

Disclaimer I do not own the Walking Dead

A/n: This story got it's one hundredth review last chapter. I can't believe it's become so popular. Thank you everyone who read it, reads it, who reviews, who favorites it, who recommends it to others…Thank you!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: MOMENT

When I woke up, it was still dark out, Merle was still spooned tightly against my back, and the house was quiet. For a moment, I forgot where I was. After having slept in that box truck for so long, waking up in a house, on a bed, in a silk nightgown felt like a dream. An incredible, lovely dream. I smiled into the darkness and carefully pulled away from Merle, earning a quiet grumble in protest.

Stepping away from the bed, I went to the window that had been firmly covered just before bed and pulled the coverings away. The moon was out an bright, lighting the room with its pale, soft glow. I leaned on the windowsill and looked out over the grounds that my window overlooked. It was so peaceful. It was easy to imagine it had always been this way. No walkers, no running from swarms of decaying bodies that threatened to rip the flesh from your bones….Just me, Merle, and the estate. I turned around and looked at him, leaning back against the windowsill.

The moonlight highlighted the sharp angles of his face; the jutting cheekbones, the clean line of his jaw, the delicate ridge of his nose. His eyes, being so deep set, were cast in dark shadows but it didn't look sinister. For Merle, it looked peaceful. His usual frown lines were smoothed, his tense shoulders, soft and rounded for once; even his injured arm wasn't tight and bunched up with worry of banging it on something or hurting it even further.

I walked back over to the bed as quietly as I could and crawled onto it, kneeling in front of Merle. He shifted again, flopping onto his back with a small grunt, and cracked open an eye, glaring at me sleepily. "S'mthin' wrong?" He mumbled, wiping his cheek. I smiled apologetically and shook my head, laying down and resting my head on his chest. Merle chuckled and grinned, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, looking down at me.

"It's too…" I started to say then stopped. I didn't even know what I was trying to say. Too perfect? Too calm? Too safe? All of them sounded so stupid now.

"Yeah." Merle grunted and ran his hand through my hair. He let out a growling sigh and gently tugged me up his body, dipping his head to kiss me firmly. I melted against him, hands pressed firmly against his chest and my head tilted just so, letting him kiss me slowly and reassuringly. After a few, long moments, Merle pulled back and kissed my forehead. "Just gonna be us for a while. 'S gonna take some getting' used to, not havin' them walkers chasin' us." I nodded and rested my cheek against his shoulder. Merle sighed again and rested his stump on my side, his other hand roving down my spine slowly, teasingly. He counted the vertebrae with his fingertips, pressing each one gently. Rubbing his fingers in small circles at the small of my back, Merle hummed. "Silk…" He murmured in my ear. "I like it." I grinned against his shoulder.

That's exactly what I had been hoping he'd say.

Merle lowered his head, kissing my neck lightly, his fingers still tracing circles into my lower back. I shivered a little and Merle moved his hand so his nails were dragging over my skin through the silk. I shivered again and arched, Merle chuckled against my neck and nipped teasingly before pulling back.

"Hate to say this Callie, but I'm bushed. Sleep and then I'll fuck ya until ya can't walk tomorrow." I blushed at the promise and nodded. I was tired too, exhausted really, but with everything that had happened, it felt like we had to be intimate because we could safely. Somewhere between having to put down my father and now, my logic had gone out the window. Since when did having a safe place to stay require sexual acts? Never.

I slid off of Merle and he laid back down, grabbing me and pulling me firmly into him. He wrapped himself around me again and I willingly cuddled into his chest with a happy sigh. Merle was right, it would just take a little getting used to, then we would have time. Time to hopefully be like a normal couple for once. Maybe we could actually go on a date, have a picnic out on the field and then lay together and cloud watch. The mere thought made me smile as I burrowed closer, pulling the blankets up to my shoulders and pressing my face into his chest.

Merle made a noise and moved just a little bit more before settling down for the night it seemed. I stayed up for a little while longer, thinking about all it could be before finally drifting off.

It was bright when I woke up and Merle was gone. I sat up tiredly, my body feeling heavy and uncoordinated as I looked around. His pajamas were tossed in the corner and from the corner of my eye, I could catch movement outside. Standing and scrubbing at my eyes, I walked to the window and saw three men out in the middle of the field, digging. It took my sleep fogged brain a good two minutes to realize that they were prepping the ground for farming. Looking closer I saw Rick, Daryl, and Shane digging while Merle marked the area out with a stick.

I stood there, watching them through the window for a while, the sounds of their bickering barely reaching my ears. I leaned on the windowsill and smiled, the smooth, painted grain biting into my arms lightly and the sun warming my face and neck.

"Callie?" A now familiar tone asked from the doorway. I turned around, momentarily forgetting that I was in a thin, silk nightgown, and greeted Jim chipperly. When he blushed darkly and swallowed heavily, I remembered what I was wearing and again dove for something to cover up with. This time, Jim turned his back and cleared his throat awkwardly while I fumbled to pull on a house coat. "Sorry, shoulda knocked."

"No, no, it's fine, really." I belted the house coat shut tightly and told him it was okay for him to turn around. He did and cleared his throat again, the blush still on his nose and ears. "Did you need something?"

"Was told to make sure you were up, 's all." He mumbled in his usual tight jawed way. I nodded and he nodded, shuffling in the doorway.

"Was that all?"

"Yeah," Jim answered immediately, turning and leaving with his head down. I watched him go then walked over and quietly shut the door. I had to figure out something to do with Jim and soon, I don't know how much more of this odd behavior I could take. With a shake of my head, I gathered an outfit for the day and went to the shower which, through some stroke of luck, had hot water. I found out later that the house was powered by a water wheel.

Dressed and clean, hair manageable for once, I went down the stairs to the kitchen where Carol was cooking and baking. She smiled at me, still her sweet self, and told me to help myself. There was so much food but I still wanted to be cautious, so I took a piece of bread and an egg, whipping up an egg in a basket. With it on my plate and a glass of orange juice (fresh orange juice; It tasted like heaven) I grabbed a fork and went to the porch, sitting on the warm deck and watching the men work. I hummed to myself as I ate, savoring every drop of warm, golden yolk and every crunch of the still hot toast. I had really forgotten what it was like to be part of a civilized world where hot breakfast and hot showers were the norm.

Plate emptied, I sat it aside where no one would step on it and sipped my juice slowly. Not once did my eyes leave Merle where he was yelling at Shane to "stop being a dumbass and do it right" while Daryl cackled at him. I smiled and leaned on my knees; I felt light and dizzy, like I was floating in water and I never wanted that feeling to stop. I wasn't heavy any more, I wasn't bogged down with anxiety or fear. Of course, the ranch wasn't strictly safe, there was always a risk, but I knew we could handle it. After everything we've been through, we could handle a stray walker or two.

The day was passed with everyone doing something that needed done; I helped Carol and Glenn organize and label the pantry, everyone else pretty much focused on getting the crops going. Dale took watch on top of the house with his binoculars, watching the perimeter diligently to make sure nothing snuck up on us, and it was quiet. No danger, just work.

When it came time for dinner, the boy's offered to take over for once, giving Carol and Lori a break. As they tried not to destroy the kitchen, we pulled out clothes and started swapping and measuring for ones that would fit best that we could tailor to fit. The clothes in my room stayed in my room, all the others being a little too small for me. Lori and Andrea had a small fight over who got what but that was settled by a quick game of rock, paper, scissors.

"We should have a party." Andrea said while holding up a beautiful, blue dancing dress. "Dancing, food, maybe a little booze. You know, have a good time." That was a good idea, I agreed with her. We could all use a little celebration. There was a chance that we would survive this after all.

"I'll go tell the boys," Lori volunteered but we all knew she wanted to make sure they weren't screwing up the food. The rest of us laughed and started trying to figure out what we'd wear. I found a great, old-fashioned polka dot dress with a crinoline skirt that Carol insisted was perfect. In return, I told her that she had to wear a pillbox hat I found, adorned with peacock feathers. I promised to let her do my hair and we took care of the clothes, still chattering about dancing and dressing up.

It was nice, really nice.

The men got the food on the table without any major disasters and we all sat down. Carl said grace quickly and we dug in; for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, we were all relaxed and having fun, just talking and laughing with each other. Merle kept his stump resting over the back of my chair, shooting Jim a wickedly dark look every so often just to make sure he got the picture. For the most part, Jim kept his eyes down on his plate, not looking at either of us or commenting on anything anyone said. Merle didn't care, of course, he was quite obsessed with staking his claim again. And as if to prove that point, Merle swept me away right after to dinner, pulling me up the stairs eagerly; with a low chuckle, he spun us, pressing me into the wall by our room, kissing my neck and running a hand up my inner thigh. Shivering and biting my lip so I wouldn't moan to loud, I pushed at him. "Merle, not out here."

Without removing his lips from my neck, Merle opened our bedroom door and moved us inside, kicking it shut with his foot.

We tumbled into bed together, never letting go of each other.


End file.
